Experience True Freedom

I don't know about anyone else, but sometimes I can be a prisoner to my own thoughts and forget that I have the freedom to choose. Choose a different thought. Choose a different experience. Choose a different interpretation.

"I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Freedom means many things to many people. We can view freedom politically, as having the opportunity to vote for particular ideas, people, or parties which best represent our views. Closely tied to this is the notion of freedom of speech, where one has the liberty to voice their personal opinion or perspective. Others understand freedom in a financial context, where people seek to free themselves of financial debt, outstanding credit, and burdensome loans.

How many of us are prisoners of our own thoughts, our own stories?

Yesterday I spent the day getting all stressed about something that I really had no control over. Why get stressed about things we can't control? And who is controlling my life, anyway: me or my thoughts?

Sometimes my thoughts are just well practiced habitual ways of thinking. But that doesn't always mean they are right.

I have been, at times, a prisoner to my thoughts. I've now garnered enough awareness to know if what I am thinking is serving me or not. And when I get to this place, I'm able to make a decision. After all, our brain is not concerned about what is right for us, it's always looking out for what can go wrong.

Which thought feels better? What interpretation serves me the best?

Because honestly, "things always work out for me" and "I just got screwed" can be equally true.

But which thought serves us better? Which one puts out the kind of energy we want to embrace in the world? Everything can be a jumping off point for something new, if we are willing to choose the best interpretation and move forward.

If "I just got screwed," it means someone else takes dominion over my life, and that is a stance that is not empowering. But if, "things always work out for me," then I dictate my life because I know my future holds a different experience.

We can choose our thoughts if we have enough awareness to recognize that our thoughts do not run our life. Then we can choose differently-this is freedom.

Freedom of interpretation, freedom to dictate our own lives, freedom to choose thoughts that work for us can liberate us from our own limiting self-made constructs.

I highly suggest reading "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. I'm not going to go into detail about the book though I will tell you that it is based on ancient Toltec wisdom and offers a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

The Four Agreements

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word

2. Don't Take Anything Personally

3. Don't Make Assumptions

4. Always Do Your Best

If we want to be successful, we have to maintain our locus of control".

We have the freedom to decide what we do with information, how we interpret our life, how we dictate our future, change our minds, or make new decisions.

All of it is a choice. Our choice.

And in choosing, we find freedom.

I realized that I could do this in every area of my life and come out ahead.

This is freedom.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Experience-True-Freedom&id=9467630