It’s Veterans Day here in the States, and to be honest until very recently I hadn’t thought much about what that meant. It wasn’t until seeing my son’s 2nd grade assembly yesterday in celebration of all that Veterans and soldiers who are currently serving have given in exchange for our freedom that I really felt deep and genuine gratitude for their sacrifice. Seeing my son jumping up and down on stage with the rest of his class singing and dancing to the words “I want to live my life and be free-o” just went straight to my heart. And I got it.
Not only did I get that appreciation for our soldiers as I mentioned before, I got why I do what I do. Because although we have many freedoms in this country compared to others, a huge one being the freedom of speech, most of us are still not truly free. Yep. It’s true. We think because we can say whatever we want whenever we want we are free to express ourselves. We are free to share our beliefs and opinions without being punished or worse, killed (and yes, that does still happen in many countries in the world).
Sure, on the surface we are able to speak freely, but is what we are saying and sharing with others freeing? Is what we are thinking and feeling about our thoughts leading us into success and happiness or keeping us small, angry and a victim of circumstances?
What is the deciding factor? Our beliefs. Our thoughts create our reality. Our emotions about what we think fuel that creation. Our beliefs are thoughts we think over and over again, sometimes consciously–most of the time subconsciously. Our thoughts determine what we say and how we say it–what we say becomes true for us–whether we intend it to or not.
As I said, most of the beliefs we carry with us are in our subconscious mind. We don’t even know they are there until we find ourselves in that same situation once again, doing the same thing we told ourselves we’d never do, and damn it why can’t we seem to make the changes we want to make stick this time! We feel powerless, ashamed, frustrated and hopeless that things will ever be different. Sound familiar? If so, you are a POB.
Prisoner of Beliefs.
It breaks my heart that in a country where we put a value on freedom above all else, people are still not free. But still, we go around thinking that we are and spouting off about how we are free when actually only a very very small percentage of people really get what I’m saying and are truly free. They are aware of what beliefs they hold, they live with intention and awareness, they are mindful of the words they speak and the thoughts they think. And when these people see results they don’t like in their life, they make quick course corrections internally, instead of blaming the world around them. Now, that’s freedom. Freedom to create. Freedom to Be and Do and Have whatever we desire.
We live in a country where people gave their lives in order for us to be free. Are we really going to debase that freedom with limiting thoughts and beliefs and negative emotions that keep us chained to mediocrity?
It’s up to you. You decide–you’ve got the freedom to do so.
