The Choice of Freedom

With Independence day upon us, thoughts turn toward freedom and celebration. We might even take a day or two off from work to indulge that freedom. Yet when it's over, many of us go right back to the same grind.  Every holiday, every vacation: when it's over, it's as if it never happened. Sound familiar?

What is your current state of "freedom?" What is the quality of the free time you're spending? How are your finances impacting your sense of freedom? How free do you feel to engage authentically in the workplace? How free are you to communicate openly and honestly at work? At home? How free are you to make the best choices for your self and your future?  Can freedom even be measured on a personal, intimate basis?

In fact, it can be tangibly measured when you quantify how you perceive it. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle reveals that, as our perception of an object changes, the object itself literally changes. Therefore, knowing how you perceive freedom is the first step in assessing your current level of freedom, what's keeping you stuck, and choosing to be more free.

Yes, I said, "choosing." 

You actually get to choose how free you are in any part of your life. Yet it's only possible when you understand how your perceptions influences your sense of freedom. Here's how we might measure it, and recognize where you are:

• Level 1 - A Cry for Freedom: This is when you feel you have no freedom. Things are a hopeless struggle. There's no purpose to what you do. You feel powerless to make changes or make a difference. Therefore, you don't speak up; you don't share your opinions or ideas. Why bother? No one listens anyway, and nothing ever changes. It just doesn't even matter. The world is a mess, and won't get better any time soon.
• Level 2 - Freedom Fighter: This is when you have to fight for every scrap of freedom you can get. You have to keep your nose to the grindstone to get things done. When you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, because everyone else will eventually disappoint you. So of course you have to push them - and yourself - to come out ahead and secure your future, which could be lost at any moment. Because success isn't the most important thing, it's the only thing. So get moving!
• Level 3 - Finding Freedom: This is when you find ways to create freedom and autonomy for yourself. You're able to keep the peace, and find the plausible reasons why things are as they are. When problems arise, you can respond instead of react; maybe even find a silver lining. You can finally make things work to your advantage, as coping and rationalizing are your strong suit. You can reframe any negativity and move on. Everything is just fine.
• Level 4 - Fostering Freedom: This is when you want others to be free. You feel free enough yourself to extend that freedom to another. It involves helping, nurturing, and supporting others so that they can prosper from your heart-centered leadership. Your ability to be customer-centric and people-oriented is great. Nothing feels better than liberating people from their struggle and making the world a better place. 
• Level 5 - Flowing Freedom: This kind of freedom embodies meaning and purpose. You only win if everyone wins. You are proactive in finding the opportunity in any situation. You are solution-focused and action-oriented. Curiosity drives you to understand others with little judgement. From this comes powerful connections, confidence, and emancipation. 
• Forever Freedom: When you can tap into this level of freedom, you are truly free. Freedom and joy are not contingent on outside circumstances. You're able to engage completely objective thinking, fearlessness, and unconditional love. This allows you to  truly explore possibilities with non-judgment. Once experienced - even if brief or temporary - it's rarely forgotten, and stays with you for a lifetime.

What kind of freedom are you experiencing in your life? At home? At work? Where in your life are you feeling confined? Resigned to fate? Under servitude to a contract? How can you assess your current level of freedom, and even increase it?  

The Energy Leadership Index Assessment (E.L.I.) evaluates and tangibly measures the current level of freedom, engagement, and satisfaction in all areas of your life. It is a one-of-a-kind assessment that pinpoints your specific blocks to success and where your freedom is being disrupted. It gives you a baseline for where you might be stuck or struggling, and also strengths you possess to free yourself.

The E.L.I. has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 10 assessments for understanding your strengths and challenges. I'm proud to be a Master Practitioner of this assessment. Along with the results, I deliver a one-hour private debrief of exactly what the results mean to you, and how you can choose ways to move forward. 

Freedom is realizing you have a choice. Awareness of your choices helps you focus on creating the future you want. Reclaim your freedom now at www.stevenreeder.com/freedom.

Steven Reeder is a Certified Professional Coach and Energy Leadership Master Practitioner. He has partnered with such organizations as AbbVie, American Society for Quality, Age Forward, Bodhi Road, Namasgay, and Metropolitan Community Church to create instant impact on grief, work/life balance, self-leadership, and major life changes. He is an Assistant Trainer for the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist.