The Road to Freedom
One of the problems that faces individuals and societies alike today is the pervasive feeling that we can’t make a difference. Does that sound familiar to you? Do you ever feel like that? It’s a widespread sense of being powerless in the face of overwhelming personal – or global – forces. Whether we’re talking about life on a personal scale or about the issues that are affecting the entire planet, most people feel completely powerless to introduce meaningful changes to themselves or to the world around them.
It's a deeply relevant phenomenon that’s caught the interest of researchers, social scientists, historians and psychologists because the implications are so far-reaching. Some behaviourists suggest that our attention span has been dramatically reduced by our exaggerated dependence on social media. The research suggests that we’re losing our ability to apply rational analysis to the news that bombards our senses. Our view of the world has become deeply distorted by campaigns of misinformation and the situation is so extreme that we’re becoming less capable today of rational, objective analysis. And this leads to a sense of inevitability. We adopt the view that the world is somehow following fixed rules and that we are no able to shape the outcomes. If ever we needed evidence of a dangerous sense of powerlessness, it can be detected in this belief that we can no longer make a difference.
No one outside ourselves can rule us inwardly. When we know this, we become free.
-??????Buddha
Clearly, not everyone has fallen into this cognitive oubliette of resignation. There are still plenty of voices around the world that are reminding us every day to wake up and remember that we are all capable of making a difference. And it’s a very important message. Do you feel that you can make a difference?
This is incredibly important on a personal scale because it reminds us that we really have the power to determine many of the outcomes in our lives. It’s equally important on the larger scale so that we don’t lose sight of our ability to make a positive contribution to our society, to our community and to the rest of the world. It’s a powerful reminder that we are still free to make choices on so many levels. We can always choose how we think and how we feel, how we behave and how we interact with the challenges we encounter. We can choose a lifestyle that supports our health, our happiness and our success. We can develop habits that benefit our wellbeing and the welfare of those around us. We can exercise our democratic rights. These are all choices.
Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.
-??????George Washington
Perhaps the most important choice of all is to take full responsibility for our lives as well as for the outcomes that follow from our decisions. Rather than relying on some external agency for our wellbeing, we need to take on the mantle of personal responsibility for how our lives evolve. We need to be aware of how our indifference – or our active participation – can change the outcomes we experience.
And it’s very much a question of belief.
As we become increasingly comfortable with our sense of personal empowerment, we become less likely to accept excuses for the state of the world around us. Empowerment rarely stops at the boundaries of our personal lives. It naturally extends beyond the confines of our personal domain and seeks expression in the wider community. The belief that we can all make a difference can also encompass the needs of the planet and all those who share it.
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual
who can labour in freedom.
-??????Albert Einstein
Why is this important? The simple answer is that the freedoms that many enjoy today are more fragile than you might imagine. The institutions of freedom require your active participation otherwise they decay beneath the corrosive drip of indifference. They’re dismantled by people’s unwillingness to get involved. They wither when we cease to support and protect them.
Accepting your right and your power to make a meaningful difference to your life is the first step on the pathway to personal freedom. Recognising that you can also make a difference to the world around you is a powerful acknowledgement of your potential to exercise a positive influence on the people and circumstances that surround you. You really can make a difference.
You can be a scared slave or you can be a brave human being.
-??????Maxime Lagacé
If you aspire to improve your life and make the world a better place, your starting point will be the unshakable belief that you really can make a difference. Encourage others to experience their own sense of empowerment and this simple act will encourage you to recognise the power that resides within you too. Remind people that complaining doesn’t help. If we don’t like a situation, let’s be prepared to explore what we can do to make things better. This is our history. This is how humans learned to thrive against impossible odds. By working together for a better world and by assuming responsibility for the results.
Make today the perfect occasion to celebrate your power to make a positive difference, both to yourself and to the people around you. Be the example of personal empowerment that inspires others to explore and celebrate their own freedom. And make the world a better place for all.
I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.
领英推荐
-??????Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Are you ready right now for a completely fresh approach to life’s great adventure? Get in touch with us today for a free session to discover how the growing global movement for personal growth, success, change and empowerment can enhance your life!
Greg Parry created The Wellness Foundation and the Cognitive Empowerment Programs specifically to help people master their stress, overcome their limitations and explore the power of their true potential.
If you enjoy these blogs, you can imagine how much fun it is to have Greg in the room as an inspirational and highly perceptive speaker. If you’d like to invite Greg to talk to your company or organisation or event, feel free to get in touch.
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