F is for Freedom

It's week six of Alphabe-Thursday!

F is for Freedom...

We all long for freedom and it's a desire that comes in many forms. Some seek freedom from responsibility, or freedom from injustice, freedom from financial hardship, or freedom from fear. But no matter which form we seek or however our individual journeys come about, one thing is shared by all of us - we're searching for freedom in the wrong place!

My own search for freedom led me to the writer's life, it sent me off to travel the world and, I admit, it has often made me shy away from responsibility. I've spent a lot of time and effort seeking a life that reflects the deep-seated sense of freedom I so wish for. And it's not to say I don't have freedom in my life - I most certainly do and it is something I am very grateful for. But what I've learnt along the way is that no external object, place or lifestyle can ever make us feel free. Because freedom comes from within.

The freedom we find in our external environment, the one we work so hard to cultivate and hold on to is a fleeting kind of freedom. It feels great for a while, but eventually the shine starts to fade and we discover that old longing resurfacing once more. We get restless. We begin to imagine a new circumstance that might grant us this elusive freedom. We set a neverending cycle in motion.

We seek to be free because our inner lives are in turmoil. When we're overcome by fear and tension, self-doubt and negativity, we long to free ourselves from the pain. But when we look for this freedom out in the world, rather than within, we are ignoring the real issues that bubble away inside us. And any act becomes futile.

Real, lasting, freedom is actually a state of mind. It is a choice we must make - to develop an inner peace that will forever accompany us through life, no matter what is thrown at us. In its truest sense being free is all about how we feel inside.

I've found that I am free when I look within for the answers, when I choose to not let outside restrictions define me. I am free when I allow myself to be happy, when I choose to let joy be the driving force in my life.

When we focus on cultivating our inner world, our outer lives reflects this. So choose to feel free and you'll never need to search for it again. Choose freedom and it will appear everywhere you look!