What is it all about?

Hey there! I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately. We are all in a race and we are so caught up in the melodrama of life that we have lost sight of what we are really trying to achieve. I can safely say that most people wanna be free. Free from restrictions (I'm not talking about covid restrictions) free from lack and limitations, free from the push and pull of life.

Since we live in a universe of polarities, is it possible to be completely free? It may come down to what our definition of freedom is. What freedom is to one person in one part of the world is going to be quite different to another individual in the opposite part of the world. I cannot tell what your definition of freedom is but if you live in a society where money is just as important as oxygen, then the amount of freedom you have will be in direct correlation to the money you earn.

From the day we were born, we are operating within the restrictions of the family system we were born into. If there was a lot of financial restrictions, this would have been impressed upon your subconscious mind and for the greatest part of your life, you will have wanted to break free from this mental prison you found yourself in. We then became conditioned that freedom has to come that particualr funnel. I understand there are many more ways to be free and it does not have to come through a dollar bill. Freedom can come from within a place of awareness.

To reach that level of consciousness, it does take a lot of time of unlearning and relearning. Unlearning most of what we have been taught to believe. Our society does not have time to go within and figure out the silent paradise that awaits them. Instead, we look around and get pulled along with the current of life,

Let us take this very platform, LinkedIn. An amazing platform where people are promoting themselves, hiring or looking for work. The end goal for most I would say is to earn a better income which will then give the individual a better chance to break free from restrictions. Let us not forget the few people who are seeking work that makes their heart sing.

Take myself for example. I have only began posting articles, creating podcasts and doing what I can to bring real value to people. For my compensation, I am looking for a return on my investment in the respect of money which will allow myself a particular amount of freedom. Sometimes the ROI will come in the form of gratitude from somebody who resonated with what I wrote or said and to me, that is just as beautiful.

The buddha once said 'the clinging of mind is what causes us to suffer'. When we are so attached to an outcome such as believing the money we earn will bring us what we need to be free, what happens when that doesn't do it either? That is usually when we beocme professional escape artists. Escpaing from ourselves only to realise we bring ourselves everywhere.

In the east, they have always known that our longing for freedom is what keeps us trapped. The very desire for something can rob us of the present moment. The joke of it all is, our true freedom is in this very present moment. It cannot be any place else.

Are we trying to to free ourselves from the restrictions of our own thoughts? 'I will be happy when I get this position'. 'The mind is a beautiful servant but a dangerous master' I read recently. Are we already free but it is our own minds that is keeping us trapped?

Let me know your thoughts!

Have a beautiful present moment,

James.