“FREEDOM”
(author unknown)
Within the United States of America lies a large industrial city
that is the sight of one of the world’s largest slave labor camps.
Located in and around the center of this city are community
settlements where the slaves live.
Each morning the slaves move herd-like from their quarters into the
slave labor camps.
Each one is at his or her station by 7:30 AM. Here they report to
their master for the day’s duties. And here they remain chained
until 5:00 PM when they’re released to go home.
The slaves have no choice as to how many hours they must labor.
Sometimes they are required to work overtime until their master
tells them they may leave and go home.
Each year the slaves are told when to take their vacations, for how
long, and when they must return.
They have little choice as to how much money they earn as they are
paid not what they are worth, but what the job is worth.
They are allowed very little time for lunch and coffee breaks during
the labor hours.
The slaves will remain in their chains in great fear because the
master can punish them with the “firing” or “layoff” whip.
It is said that even some of the older slaves who have been good and
faithful have felt the sting of the whip.
Day by day, year-by-year, the slaves toil and grow older until the
master decides it is time to release them to the retirement camps
where they’re forced to sit idle and wait for death.
It’s a well-known fact that the old slaves who try to keep working
are sometimes whipped with a “stop their-pension” whip.
I know these slave camps exist for I once was a slave.
But now I am a free man who lives among the slaves.
The reason I am free is because I am in business for myself.
Yes, I am truly free!
I came across this essay through an email that I received earlier this week. I found it inspiring , therefore, I decided that it was worth sharing with you. As a disclaimer, I am not implying that every person that is working in a traditional industry is a slave. As a matter of fact, I personally believe that anyone who is passionate about whatever they are doing on a daily basis is already extraordinary. To wake up passionate and happy about what is in store for you on any particular day ,every day, is a possible goal worth attaining. To engage in meaningful activities throughout your day for the vast majority of days that you have left on earth is a dream for many , but an attainable one. To be able to lay your head on your pillow every night satisfied ,yet not complacent, can be a standard for you. An extraordinary, authentic life is one in which each breath is cherished. It is a life where you are completely engaged in every aspect of life without any regrets. You are living your truth free of outside “programming”. Every thought has been made captive. You are in tuned with the reasons behind your daily habits and actions. You are living life deliberately. Every aspect of your life exemplifies this fact. There is no compromise. You are awakened and refuse to go back to “sleep”. You experience life with the same wonder and exuberance as a child ,with one major exception. You are a conscious creator. The lines dividing work and play are becoming progressively blurred. Nothing is taken for granted.
Get in the habit of giving yourself daily “gut checks” about your thoughts and actions. It becomes more natural with practice. Give yourself fully to whatever you are doing at that moment. This action will help you with learning how to stay present. Remember that regardless of what event occurred in your past or is scheduled for your your future all that truly exist is the present. The past will never return and the future never actually gets here. Do you know why? It never gets here because once the future comes, it will still be the present. The event will no longer be in your future. At every point in your life that you have existed, you were in that present moment. Your plans for your future are made in the present. Technically,it is the only time that you will ever have in this lifetime. Learn to both cherish and make the most of it. As human beings, we have been conditioned to be busy, yet not necessarily productive. We get our security and sense of self worth from illusions( money, fame, recognition, race , gender, etc). We unconsciously focus more on being politically correct according to societies standard( whatever that is…) instead of being free. It is a form of mental prison.. It is the worst kind because we pass this form of slavery down to our children , in most cases, without being aware of it. There is a way out. You are an all powerful being. Set the intention for your life. Be as descriptive as possible . Have fun with it. Make the most out of the moment that you have. at the moment, you might still have to maintain your routine, but that’s okay. Your perspective about your life situation has changed. You approach your daily affairs with a different energy.
Learn to allow life to unfold. Always remember to set high expectations for yourself. Demand happiness for yourself. Challenges , victories and defeats are all necessary parts of life. Your life is like a rare painting . You are the artist. You decide what colors to add to your artwork/ life based on your thoughts, actions and reactions. Refuse to live a mundane life. Never allow others response to your life choices to determine your self worth. If you are tempted to do so, your feelings are based on a lie. Your truth is that you are a unique, creative, powerful being and your greatest asset is your mind. Learn to control out. Train yourself daily to be aware of your thoughts. As mentioned earlier, keep the ones that serve you. If others criticize you try not to take it personally. Whether thy know it or not ,it was never about you. People tend to unknowingly criticize others based on their own insecurities and fears. Have compassion for them without allowing their comments to alter your perspective about life and yourself. You are perfect as you are. You are a unique “masterpiece” of an individual that is constantly evolving while gaining more of a deeper realization of the fact that you are special. You belong. You have always belonged. You are born free. You were simply sleep.
Know that you realize that you are free, know what?!!! Create , grow, love and experience everything there is that you choose to experience. In the process, encourage others to do the same thing according to their standard. We can grow into our unique, wonderful selves and be united in doing so because we realize that we each represent a particularly remarkable aspect of the whole. We are all indeed one. Knowing this at a personal, heart centered level is the true definition of ” living in love”.
Love is at the core of true freedom , especially, self love. It is my opinion that you must love yourself before you can ideally love others. We are enslaved by false perceptions of ourselves, others and life , in general. We allow “outside influences ” ( society, family, race/ethnic/gender/sexual orientation, etc) to determine our “place” in society. This is a self defeating process as well as an outright lie. In actuality, your true value cannot be quantified. How can you quantify a being like yourself of infinite potential. It isn’t possible. You don’t have to be perfect. Perfection is an illusion. It is a matter of perception. As mentioned earlier,you are a work in progress. If something is perfect , how can it continue to grow? You are free to grow and become what you desire to become because that it is what you choose to do. There is no clear right or wrong decision concerning this matter. There are only consequences. There are consequences for each decision that we make in our lives. It’s okay. It’s how we learn and grow. Our natural state is to be free. We imprison ourselves with our limited beliefs and perceptions. We also hold the keys to release ourselves from bondage. Find your joy in the journey. Do not bound yourselves to toys , trinkets and titles. You can’t take any of these items with you. Life is full of transitions. Freedom is reached once you realize that there is no true arrival. There is much to learn, experience and , if you choose to do so, enjoy. You are already there. Learn to enjoy this moment. Welcome to freedom. Until next time….