022: Are You Pursuing True Freedom?
What does it truly mean to embody freedom?
Frequently, people express a desire to experience freedom. They want to do things how they want and when they want it. And for most people I know this is what freedom is about. The notion of running a business is commonly associated with this vision of a liberated lifestyle.
Being a business owner, I do enjoy being able to manage my own time and live according to my natural rhythm. This feels much better and healthier than sticking to a standard 9-5 routine. Some may call this freedom, but that's not what I'm referring to. Even while doing things you want, you could be unknowingly following some harmful patterns.
The kind of freedom I'm referring to here is significantly deeper. You might have what you consider a perfect schedule, and yet, you may not be truly free. It isn't about going around doing things freely. Rather, it involves your capacity to rise above a conditioned reaction and choose how you respond to the world.
As Stuart Wilde mentions in one of his books, "emotional discipline is not buying into the popular emotion." In my view, this is about what freedom truly means, the power to chose how you feel.
Discipline leads to freedom.
It's about having the capability to prioritize long-term goals over immediate desires. Freedom is taking a moment to breathe when something frustrates you, rather than engaging in an immediate argument. It's about reading the headlines of daily news about the stock market crashing, and maintaining a state of peace instead of succumbing to worry and fear.
Freedom originates from your ability to respond rather than react. It arises when you elevate yourself beyond a group of people complaining about life, choosing instead to appreciate whatever is present.
Freedom is choosing to love the unlovable.
It's the power that comes when you crave sugar, and you make the decision not to eat it because it's not aligned with your health goals. Or, even if you do choose to eat it, it's not an impulsive decision that you'll regret later, but a conscious choice to savor that dessert.
Freedom is the ability to commit to something and follow through.
Freedom involves allowing yourself to experience anger and then asking yourself where you need protection. It's about permitting yourself to feel jealousy and getting in touch with your profound desires. Instead of pushing these feelings away or rejecting them.
From allowing yourself to experience all emotions, you take powerful action.
This isn't because you're avoiding feeling something, but because you're following the natural path of expansion and evolution in your personal journey so you can fulfill your destiny that it is to be free.
True freedom is experienced when you have a balanced emotional state, which means you are open to feeling everything and are very aware of how to manage these experiences within yourself.
If you have a great schedule and do what you want when you want, but can't stick to a gym routine, or if you keep putting off tasks that could benefit your business, you may not be as free as you think. If you eat something uncontrollably and right after you regret it, or if you have a brilliant idea that you're not acting on, your freedom might be limited.
If you struggle with consistency in sending newsletters, posting on social media, or completing daily tasks, you may need to reevaluate your freedom.
Freedom is not about doing whatever you want; it is about doing what you said you would do. It is about responding to life according to your new goals, instead of your old patterns.
Have you ever noticed that sometimes, even though you consciously want something, you can't seem to achieve it? Ever wondered why this happens?
We often find ourselves stuck in emotional patterns and behaviors that originated from childhood, traumas or past experiences. These patterns can inhibit our actions in the present moment, as we continue to act based on memories and outdated neural connections that are no longer beneficial to us.
Emotional health is crucial for you to step up and choose to do things differently. It's not only beneficial for your personal well-being, but also for your overall success in life.
If what I'm saying here is entirely new to you, physical exercises will assist you. It's challenging to find emotional balance with poor physical health. If you already exercise, begin meditating every day for 10 minutes. If you are already doing both, start being aware of how your body feels with every emotion you experience throughout your day. Notice the physical sensations and also the types of thoughts that follow those emotions. Acknowledge them, without the need to justify or change.
Make peace with who you are and your past. Practice radical acceptance. Do not move towards the next chapter in your life or business without being aware of your emotional state. Otherwise, you will recreate the same cycle.
No matter how great your strategy is to expand your business or launch your next amazing idea, if it's not followed by emotional awareness and discipline, you will probably not experience freedom.
You don't want to recreate cycles of frustration, emptiness, and inadequacy. Instead, you want to create cycles of excitement, love, and joy. And that is only possible if you chose to be emotionally healthy.
Chose freedom now and begin building the business that will support the life of your dreams.
That choice can only be made by you now, and this is true power. ​
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​With Love,
Carolina
Who We Are Celebrating This Week:Â Dr. Janice Powis:)
Mind Over Tinnitus by Dr. Janice Powis
I am celebrating Dr. Janice Powis for her remarkable contribution in helping people in such a profound way. She has developed a methodology to assist individuals with tinnitus to rise above the noise, which, in my opinion, enables them to experience freedom. She is extremely knowledgeable and treats her clients with class, care, and love.
I am all for possibilities, and she provides hope to people who were probably told that nothing could be done about "the noise inside their head". If you suffer from tinnitus, or if you know someone who does, please explore her work, click here. Choose freedom now and take powerful action.
Here's What I Want to Share This Week:
Happiness School
Phil and I visited a hidden gem in San Jose, the Happiness School, for a delightful lunch and a conversation about ways to connect with our true nature, which is happiness.
Their work, in my opinion, is also a way to connect people with freedom. You are free to choose to be happy or not, regardless of the circumstances in your life. You are the only one who can make that choice; nobody else can do it for you.
You can learn about their philosophy and work here. They conduct a two-hour session called a "Happiness Activation," which is a special experience. If you're ever in the area, please check them out, click here.
Memorable Quote:
Mastering yourself is true power - Lao Tzu