“You are not a robot; neither are you merely an animal; you have a greatness that is infinitely more. For you are a free human being, the very peak of life on earth.” (The Merry Monk)
Slave, or Free?
I am not a slave. Neither are you. We are free. So, rejoice! Claim and live your freedom to the limit. We’d hate to make someone else our slave. So let’s make sure we don’t impose slavery on ourselves!
But how can we impose slavery on ourselves? Because we can submit to other people’s agenda. Just think of all the people in your life. Picture the way they often exert moral pressure on you in so many subtle ways to do what they want. Of course we need to be wise and completely loving to our nearest and dearest. But first of all we need to be ourselves, and act as responsible adults, in control of our own destiny.
However, other people are often not the problem. Even more sad are the countless ways the problem of surrendering to slavery lies deep within ourselves. We self-sabotage, giving in and capitulating to all kinds of negativity, doubts, fears, and above the massive conditioning we’ve taken on board from others. What others? All the people in our life as we grew up.
Even more insidious is the hidden conditioning through the prevailing principles, beliefs and values of the culture we are brought up in. Think for a moment of such major things such as politics, religion, education, race, immigration, life-style . . . the list is endless. Unthinkingly, we can identify completely with the society we live in, absorbing its basic way of life as normal and beyond question.
There is a better way: choose personal freedom
Slavery’s not good. . So let’s abolish any slavery in our life – wherever we find it. If freedom is worth dying for then, even more so, it’s worth living for.
Why is it worth living for? Because we are free, we have the power within us to control our life, set our own goals, decide our own path to achieve our goals, and become awesome and excellent in all we are and all we do. Freedom is our greatest gift, enabling us to take responsibility and change absolutely anything in our life that we choose.
Positive life-style change really is possible for you, me, and all of us. How do we know that such change is not simply wishful thinking? It’s our freedom that makes controlled, creative and responsible life-change possible.
Create you own future
Your future is not fixed, it is totally open to your own free choices. Nothing’s written in stone. You always get to decide; you’re a creator. You can fashion a new life for yourself by your free decisions. But what decisions? How do we know which way to go? What does the ideal life look like for me?
One of the best strategies I know, to find out where we should we should be going, is to question! Question deeply. Question persistently. Question everything. What questions? Look inside your own heart and mind. Discover what you currently believe and accept about some of the major things in life, things you’ve perhaps never questioned before.
Be brave. Take courage
Ask yourself challenging questions such as:
Do I really believe that? Is that true?
Why do I accept that?
Is there another way?
What do I really want in life?
What am I passionate about?
What do I really care about?
In this way you’ll get a deeper insight into your own deepest principles, beliefs and values. Then you are free to start making any changes you find desirable.
Let’s take our freedom for granted no longer. Our freedom is our most precious possession. It’s an essential part of happiness, and that’s something we all want, we all need, and we all deserve. Remember what we said above: the future’s open. You get to choose. No-one’s pulling the strings.
Let’s always pursue happiness in freedom of mind, body and spirit!
Gerry McCann – The Merry Monk
