In Search of Freedom

This was written with the many graduates that I know in mind.  There are so many things to think about as we prepare for a new stage in life.  It seems to me that the goal of every young person however, is ultimately freedom..whatever that means. 

In Search of Freedom

Freedom is often defined at the personal level as a way to get away from something rather than progressing toward something. On a deeper level freedom is finding independence from our fears and moving toward true happiness.

Each transition that we make is presumably to better ourselves and our circumstances, thus it is important to ask and answer the question; how is this going to better my circumstances?

If you are considering a change in your life it is important that you understand why you need this change, what key factors have driven you to this point?  Is it about money or security, and how will this change improve your life?  Or is it about love or adventure and if so how is this going to improve your life? 

There have been many changes is my life that I have made thinking they were going to make things better, but in the long run the improvements that I thought I was going to see did not happen.  This is not to say that I can’t look back on every change and see that good things came from them, for I believe that there is something to gain from every event in our lives.  Some of our best lessons come when we least expect them and from our biggest challenges.  There comes a time in life when we just don’t have as much energy to put into these lessons however. This is when we start to apply wisdom and skill – obtained through previous experiences.  I like to compare life to a court sport; the key to establishing and maintaining control, thereby preserving our energy, is to stay centered and let our opponent do all of the running.  To predict and be where the ball is going, rather than chasing it is much smarter and more efficient.  This skill applied to life requires the application of wisdom obtained through experience and proactive analysis of the game, your opponent, your own abilities, strengths and weaknesses before making your move.

So often we seek change because we are not satisfied with the world around us, we want to change things, so that life will be easier. Many of us want to help others and in so doing we make changes that are not beneficial to ourselves. Creating more hardship for ourselves is the very thing that ends up exhausting us and killing our plan. So again, I ask you as you to contemplate your move – what specifics will you gain and toward what goal?  In what ways will this change make you a better and stronger person, someone that you will admire and with this change in yourself, how will you improve the world around you? I encourage you to sit down and make a list of the things that you are hoping to change and why. After you have put these concerns into concrete words and you have had the chance to succinctly identify what is keeping you from happiness - your freedom, apply your contemplated change and reevaluate each concern.  Through this process, you will discover the changes you truly need to make in your life at this time. Ultimately- this will lead you to your freedom. 

Congratulations to all, as you complete whatever stage you are in and Best of Luck.   

Julie