A Journey of Free

A couple things I have written over time about living free:

Date unknown, but probably early 2010
I thought it would be interesting to share our ideas of what being free means to us. For me it really means not arbitrarily limiting myself (like doing or not doing something because of someone else). It is about choices, however, I am not as gung-ho as I once was about valuing "informed" choices over "uninformed" ones, because I don't value "expert" opinions like I once did. I value personal internally-trustful decisions more at this place in my journey. Some choices I make feel better if they are informed, like what tv to purchase - I find I am happier longer with my decision if I shopped around first and got the most for my money... Any purchases I guess. But when it comes to parenting and lifestyle choices, I really value following ones heart even if they can't find an "expert" to back them up.

I think being free is in our mind, which is where I think our reality also resides. And being and living free is a progress, a journey toward a destination that we may never truly meet, but we can get closer and closer to it. I also think it isn't the same for everyone - it is shaped by our own values and interests and life goals. So, for example, financially free could mean never going into debt or it could mean running up bills all over town with no intention of ever paying them, it could mean landing a very well-paying job or giving up all of your financial responsibilities and living on the street, or it could mean buying a house for security or living in an rv and travelling as far as your wheels can take you. I think the key is choices that suit you. And I am constantly unpacking my life and finding more ways to be free.

I also want to clarify that I am tailoring my life to me through my choices, and so checking my own limits as well. I meant very specifically "arbitrary" because I am not saying that I am going to do anything and everything, but that I am going to chose, and those choices unfold as I deeper understand my freedom and MY preferences.

Just wanted to share that I am enjoying another layer to being free, and that is having lots of different perspectives available to me without judgment. I see differences as contrast (many of which I enjoy differently at different times in different contexts), checking in to let go of judgment about them. I don't see any of them as better, maybe more useful for different situations and for different results. But none of them more valid or truthful, objectively. The meaning lies is each of us :)

So, when we all share our truths, we are providing soooooo many opportunities. Opportunities to build with others on similar interests, opportunities to reflect on our disagreements with something, opportunities for expansion of opinions and understandings. It seems to me that we each have stories about different things, and the more stories there are, the richer our life. Everything has it's benefits, and I love being able to see beyond myself :)

Can't remember if I said this already, but I wanted to share something that has been salient for me recently: free is so relative :)). I just love that fact. It's not static and unchanging, it constantly changes with me and I can dance with it and explore it in it many layers and meanings. What made me think of it was realizing that sometimes not washing the dishes is freeing and sometimes washing them is :))




May 16, 2010
Currently, being "free", to me, means being available to make choices. Being available is kind of the key for me here -- I want to let go of the barriers that prevent me from making choices that truly work for me. if I am feeling like I "have to" do something, or if I am tangled up in complexities about it, then it does not feel free to me, doesn't feel like choice-making to me. So, being emotionally available to follow what feels right to ME is a huge factor. There are also other kinds of available, like being financially available to make choices for one's life, and being physically able to make choices for one's life, etc. The big part is making choices. When we make choices for our life, we take the reigns to tailor our life to us. It amazes me just how much we really can tailor to our wants and needs...