As we in the US celebrate our freedom this summer I have been thinking about freedom as a state of mind. It is a way of looking at our choices.
It is easy to forget that we have choices. We automatically think that there is no choice but to set that alarm, get up and then go to that workplace that is draining our life energy a bit more every day.
Sometimes it just takes a small shift in how you look at a choice to create that sense of freedom. Other times it takes deliberate planning to really believe the choice exists. Early in my corporate career, I decided that I would have enough savings set aside to be able to walk away if it ever became too painful to stay. This is often called F*** You money. It took some time and sacrifice in spending to build up the savings but once I had it then it was amazing the shift it provided me. It gave me the freedom to take more risks. I never actually needed it but just knowing I had the choice made a huge difference.
Unfortunately some of us get caught up in the next promotion and increasing our standard of living each time so that we never feel like we have any choices in how we spend our day and life. No one is immune to this. Wealthy and famous movie stars get caught up in this awful cycle and then we see their sad stories about breakdowns due to the stress and strain and lack of freedom in taking that next movie contract.
Creating feelings of freedom to make choices and then taking risks will move you closer to your dreams. You will make choices that you would not make if you were too afraid of failure or the unknown.
We are making a million choices in what we think and do every single day. Some of them small, some large, they all add up to what is our life.
Do you feel the freedom or prison of your thinking? How will you shift to add more freedom to your way of thinking and your life?
photo credit: Hamed Maoumi