Meet your Freedom Zone

Welcome to the latest wave of *Fika for Your Soul*!

Let me set the stage. At the time I’m writing this, we’re gearing up to Christmas. Some will celebrate massively, others not so much. I fall in the latter category. By choice.

For me, the Christmas and New Year season is an opportunity to rest, to create space, to catch-up, to prepare for the new year. Living in a different country than my family, there’s always a balancing between traveling to visit family and friends (which will be full-on), or wishing my friends and family Merry Christmas from afar and carving out some much needed time and space for rest and recharge.

My decision and choice not to see family over Christmas used to come with heavy feelings of guilt. I know my parents would love me to visit, yet they respect my need and desire to take a break during Christmas. So, I’ve learned not to feel guilty about my choice. Instead of Christmas, I visit them in Nov/Dec and then again in Jan/Feb, when the madness and leftovers from the holiday season are long gone.

So, what’s this thing about ‘Freedom Zone’? What is it, and what may it look like?

I’ll tell you in a minute.

I feel a deeply rooted peace, and my whole being is sighing with relief when I connect with the energy of FREEDOM and what it means to me. Yep, my top value – my main motivation – is freedom.

The pull towards freedom doesn’t come from a need to escape or run away from things. The motivation runs deeper than that, beyond any surface level challenges or opportunities that may present themselves in my life. It’s on the soul level.

I believe that there are two landscapes to freedom: the INNER and the OUTER.

…The INNER landscape contains the building blocks that help us in the external world. It contains characteristics and strengths. Understanding how we perceive our sense of freedom internally can equip us with most of what is needed to be a great leader in life.

…The OUTER landscape is our lived experience of freedom. If we understand our map to freedom, and what it means to us, then we have a map to help us navigate life.

“Inner and outer freedom exists when we have access to what makes us tick. When we have a framework in place that supports our growth, evolution, and explorations in life.“

My version of freedom…?

Mmm…it includes having the freedom to choose, to be who I am, to take responsibility for who I am, to be curious, and to operate beyond constricting boundaries and expectations – mine and others.

You see, FREEDOM fires me up. It makes me want to take action, to change, to grow, to evolve. It connects me to instinct and deeper wisdom, to inspiration, awareness, and autonomy. It expands my perspective and it keeps me on my toes.

So, what’s a ‘Freedom Zone’?

A Freedom Zone is a space for exploration and expansion. We all have one.

If you’ve never thought about it before, this is a chance to get acquainted. If the concept is new to you, I invite you to sit with the question, “What does my Freedom Zone look like?”.

What’s coming to you?

There are no right or wrong answers. Only what matters to you.

Some of you will know that the theme for me this year is ‘showing up fully’. This means having the confidence, clarity, and courage to walk my talk, to walk my own path.

When I do this, I know that I’m in my Freedom Zone, the zone where I’m in alignment, in balance, and where I experience meaning, fulfilment, and deep joy.

I’ve got 30+ years of experience from business operations in the high-tech electronics industry. About 15 years ago I recognised that something was missing. I was living my life based on other people’s ideas, not my own. I gave myself permission to explore my Freedom Zone. I’ve learned what it looks like and what makes it ‘hum’. My Christmas break is part of this. Taking it one step further and actually living in it has been a great pleasure over the last 15 years.

Rediscovering and consciously sculpting and cultivating my Freedom Zone is a continuous journey. The purpose of knowing what your Freedom Zone looks like is to help you stand strong in what you care deeply about and who you are in this phase of your life. It doesn’t have to have a focus on spirituality. Your Freedom Zone is your Freedom Zone, no matter what it looks like.

My wish for you is that you’ll take the opportunity to explore what your Freedom Zone looks like, so that you can live your life with confidence, clarity, and contentment, and be fully connected to all that you are.

Until next time…

..from my soul to yours,

Maria

*Fika for Your Soul* is about connecting with inspiration from everyday situations and conversations. It’s about discovery, reflection, leaning into, and stretching beyond…how we may see, understand, and express freedom, exploration, and leadership (among other things), all in the context of our daily lives. Fika (pronounced ‘Feeka’) is Swedish for taking a [coffee/tea] break.