True Freedom

Almost every day I see someone downtown wearing a shirt that has the words “Freedom” printed across the back. Ironic because those who are typically wearing this shirt don’t come across like the type of people who really believe in true freedom, only their freedoms.

So, it got me thinking today, what is TRUE Freedom? Freedom is a loaded word and can be tough to unpack and as mentioned above, it really depends on who you are asking. But I wanted to break down 3 things I believe True Freedom consists of.

1. The ability to say “I don’t know”. Absolute Truth is unknowable and yes I see the paradox in this statement. This is why radical acceptance of paradox and the Absurd are vital to True Freedom. Too many people have Faith in what they believe is Absolute Truth and this inevitably leads to restricting other’s freedoms. Also, you don’t need to have an opinion about everything, especially those things you cannot solve. (i.e. war in ukraine, price of tea in china etc)

2. The ability to say “I don’t care” This means that you place no value judgements on other people. Radical acceptance of other’s lifestyle choices…not for you but for THEM. It is vital that we learn we can accept others choices for THEM without needing to adopt the same choices for our lives. Nature celebrates diversity, so why can’t we?

3. The ability to say “Not my Problem” This is the avoidance of becoming a “people pleaser” or “Savior” for others. This is radical acceptance of your inability to fix other people’s problems. And as my great friend Barry Zeve would say, “Their grades in the school of life are not going on your report card.”

If people could begin to really practice true freedom in their daily lives, they would begin to sense peace like they never knew possible. Practicing these 3 principles really does lift a weight off your shoulder. RELAX, CHILL, and LOVE.