What does it really mean to be free? freedomiseverything.com /2016/06/03/what-does-it-really-mean-to-be-free/
When you run a website called ‘Freedom is Everything’, it makes you stop and think “what does it really mean to be free?” Clearly everybody’s idea of freedom is different. What I perceive to be freedom in my life may differ completely from what you perceive freedom to be in your life. I’m going to talk about what ‘freedom’ means to me, in the context of my life and my mindset. Perhaps my personal definitions of freedom will resonate with you, or perhaps you will disagree completely. Everyone’s perspective is unique.
Freedom has more than one face
When I think of freedom, I think of one of the ultimate purposes in life. Without freedom, we are in bondage, and we will never be able to live to our full capacity because we will always feel constrained by some external force. I believe that there are the following aspects to freedom: Time Time is the one thing that we can never get back, or get more of. Many of us do not spend our time freely. We often do the things we do due to the requirements of others. Bosses, partners, obligations, jobs all seem to control how we spend our time. Often it seems that we do not do by free choice, but by obligated choice (ie getting up for work in the morning). To me, one of the biggest reasons to cultivate freedom in my life is for the effect on my time. If you consider that we often spend 5 or 6 days per week, sometimes 12 hours per day, doing jobs we dislike – this seems to be a ridiculous way to spend time that we will never get back.
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Money For many of us, money seems to be the great blocker to freedom. Money seems to be the cause of so many of our woes. It is the reason that we spend our time in ways other than how we would like. It is the reason we go to the hated job. Conversely it s also the reason why we don’t leave the job and do our own thing: what if we fail and have no money. Perceived lack of financial freedom is the reason so many people do not feel free. If we ask ourselves the question: ‘would I be doing this if money was no object?’, many of us would say no. Obtaining the ability to choose how I spend my time relates directly to monetary freedom. If I have monetary freedom, then I can spend my time as I please. This is the big conundrum: do we not have money because we are not free enough to choose a different path (which may include more money), or are we not free because we are scared of not having enough money. Chicken and egg. Location Location freedom is the ability to go where you want, when you want. Or at least have the ability to choose exactly where you work and live. Lots of us are tied to one location – perhaps because of a job or perhaps because of other considerations such as family. Feeling tethered to one place can be a huge source of frustration for those who have a naturally free spirit. There is a whole world to explore and yet many people only get to see their own narrow corner of the earth. Having the ability to go where you choose, whether to work or to visit, is a major component of being truly free. Of course, these three elements of freedom: time, money and location, are all interconnected. You may have the desire to travel and see the world, but may not have enough money. Similarly, you may have lots of money making ideas….but perhaps you don’t have the time. Physical The fourth major component is physical freedom, which means having a body (or mind) healthy enough to move freely. Some people may have the inclination to travel, do a certain type of work or use their time in a certain way, but cannot do so physically. For those who have terrible disabilities or illnesses, the lack of freedom does not stem from time or money, it stems from being trapped in their own body. For me personally, the physical component to freedom cannot be overlooked. I could have all the money in the world, but if I was too tired or in too much agony to use and enjoy it, then the money is worthless. Mental and emotional An overlooked aspect of the freedom question is the mental and emotional side. Perhaps it is also the biggest factor. To pose a question: is it really time, money or location which are the problem? Or is it that we do not have the freedom mentally to choose whatever we really want to do. It’s a tricky question, but it could be argued that we all essentially have the freedom to do whatever we want – we just have to be brave or bold enough to make a different choice. Most of us are afraid to step into the unknown – for example leaving a job when we do not have another job to go to – and therefore we do not use our freedom to make the step. But let’s be honest, we are free to take that decision if we are brave enough. Looking at the freedom debate this way then, it could be argued that time, money and location are not the problems: WE are the problem. We are choosing not to use our natural freedom to fashion something better, or different. We are stuck in a zone of mental comfort and fear of change.
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And this is probably the biggest factor regarding true freedom: being mentally free. To me, that means having the capacity to choose whichever option you want for your life. Unbound by jobs, society or trying to impress others, but being strong enough, mentally, to say: “do you know what, I’m going to do what I want with my life and everything else will take care of itself”. It is a paradigm shift for sure, because we are all used to spending our lives doing things because ‘we think we should’ or because it’s what ‘society’ demands. It is a huge deal to create life exactly as you want to. The difference can be found in language: “ I have to go to work today” paints a very different picture to “ I choose to go to work today”.
So….what really gives us freedom??
I believe that true freedom is a combination of all of the above. The better question is probably ‘which aspect comes first’. Must you have money before being mentally free? I believe that mental freedom must come first. That is why I believe working on our thoughts and mindset is so important. If we can free our minds, other possibilities begin to present themselves. We are all capable of earning lots of money and having financial/time/location freedom. First though, we must cultivate the mental bravery to surrender to the unknown. We must develop the mindset that will allow us to break out of our current constraints, and fashion a new life based on living and earning the way we want to live and earn. For example my mindset change led to me starting an online business through SFM. It’s hard, no doubt about it. To take a leap of faith and do something we have never done before takes bravery. The mental hurdle is the biggest obstacle to true freedom – everything else is merely an illusion…or an excuse. Once your mind is truly free, all else can follow; and the time, money and location freedom will come consequently. Have fun and good luck Andy
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