Meditating on what freedom means to me today. Being truly free is not freeing ourselves from things, rules, commitments, people… It is to create space between what is impermanent, happening outside, and our eternal Being. If I believe that freedom depends on something happening outside, like getting a certain job position, accumulating money, being recognized for an accomplishment, getting rid of my boss, I turn myself into a prisoner of that which I believe is an obstacle to my freedom. I turn myself into a slave of the idea of freedom I created. I am either dependent on that which I believe is able to free me or, if I get it, I constantly fear losing it. And, usually, I’m ready to pay any price to free myself from that, including giving up principles, values and, ultimately, the commitment to my soul. I realized that freedom is already available to us here and now. There is nothing outside that is an obstacle to it, except if I elect it as such. When I’m truly committed to values, virtues and principles, freedom emerges naturally out of any action aligned with these values and principles. It doesn’t matter what I do. If I act out of presence and consciousness, and not out of fear, desire, pain and pleasure, I experience freedom. Last but not least, a wake-up call for me. Plato says “He who talks a lot about food is hungry”. I realized that, since I’m a child, I reflect and write a lot about freedom. What chains did I create to my own freedom? Am I really imprisoned or do I have to drop the chains that I put on myself? Letting go may be painful, as we realize that there was no chain and “that” which I searched was always available. However painful, it is never too late to drop an illusion.
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