on freedom
one of the perks of getting older is that you have figured out a thing or two about making way through life. you can draw on patterns, philosophies, and behaviors that have worked. below are a few that i remind myself of whenever i feel confused, stuck, weighed down.
accountability
i am one hundred percent responsible for everything i am and everything i am not, for my capacities and my incapacities, for my joys and my miseries. i am the one who determines the nature of my experience in this life and beyond - a yogi's guide to joy.
we often try very hard to place this responsibility elsewhere. being the sole proprietor of ourselves is daunting, but also profoundly liberating and empowering.
action
if all you can do is crawl, then start crawling - rumi.
ideas and worries will both keep you trapped. that first action, even if experimental, slowly unlocks the path ahead. sometimes that path ahead is “letting go”. and that is ok.
forgiveness
out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field. i will meet you there – rumi.
we will all meet each other there. forgiveness is not only freeing, but also deeply healing. it’s about forgiving others, but especially, forgiving yourself. forgiveness doesn’t mean condoning, trivializing, or repeating hurtful actions. it’s about choosing to move forward without the burden of resentment. in fact, forgiving yourself makes it easier to break free from damaging patterns.
restarts
although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending – carl bard.
never be afraid to begin again. you don’t need to rush into starting from scratch every time, but simply keeping this idea in mind can lighten your daily burdens. practicing this philosophy is not just about letting go of fear driven attachments; it’s also a reminder to continue investing in yourself daily, emotionally, physically, and financially. whether it’s sharpening a skill, staying fit, or saving a little, they all lay the foundation on which you can restart and rebuild.
all these ideas can be wrapped into the one idea of self acceptance, which, to me, is the greatest form of freedom. it’s not about resigning yourself to who or how you are, but rather understanding, accepting, and taking responsibility for yourself, and using the heady freedom that comes from that to wake up every day and make something of it.