Define freedom.
I am sure most Americans believe that they are free, free to FREE speech, free to be, and I also wonder how many people in this world long for true freedom within. The majority of humanity is longing for something more, whether it is happiness, freedom, peace. Even though we are given the human rights to speak up, to earn a living and to be with whoever we want to be, do whatever we like and want, many are still living in FEAR, COMPROMISE, and CONFORMITY.
When I was in my teenage years, I did not fit in and longed to fit in with all my heart. I tried hard, but to no avail. I was not meant to fit in and I accepted that. When I started creating my own opportunities in life, creating the life I wanted to live, I received a lot of criticism.
The criticisms were either that I was NOT patient enough to sit at a desk from 9 to 5 or that I should JUST accept reality. This reality that people painted for me was not pleasant. I wondered why people would sacrifice their own happiness to conform to this dreadful reality.
What is my definition of Freedom?
1. Freedom is knowing and accepting all of who you are and loving who you are created to be. It is listening to your desires and your ideas and allowing YOURSELF to be the fullest expression of who you were created to be. Many of us have abandoned our true desires and have tried to fit in to appease those around us.
2. Freedom is accepting others for who they really are, not for the expectations we have of them. It is loving them for who they are, but also understanding that you CANNOT change a person, you can only influence them.
3. Freedom is letting GO of societal expectations and what people think of you. If you listen to yourself enough, you will hear the true desires in your heart versus the voices outside of you. When we embrace who we are, we start to walk in the fullest confidence of our being…we then no longer need peoples’ approval.
4. Freedom is LIVING out the fullest expression of who you are. The great thing about living in freedom is that you will start to meet like-minded people that speaks your language of vision and creativity. Live in the wisdom that comes with being you.
5. Freedom is ALLOWING yourself to fail to create something great. I have probably failed many times in my entrepreneurial career, but I never thought of them as failures….I thought of them as free education. I knew that every step was a step up, a puzzle piece fitting into the perfect picture that was to come 10, 20, 30 years down the line.
6. Freedom is allowing yourself to be YOUR NAME _________________, and not the title the world has given you. Status is so important in America, it defines your worth. That is a lie that we have believed in, but need to replace with the truth of our worth in __________(your name). Our worth is infinite, beautiful, sacred. Our worth as human beings are spiritual, eternal. Today I connected with another entrepreneur and was so inspired by his story of building up his insurance business from scratch, in that moment, there was beauty….not because of what he had accomplished, but in the goodness that was in his actions and heart. I was impressed by the way he treated his employees and how he gave with an open heart, we need more goodness in this world! I believe it is because he has accepted the true desires of his heart to be a giver and a gift to the world.
What is your definition of freedom?
Rebekka Lien 