Being Free Is Your Birthright

Becoming lighter is the only way to fly.

Being free is your birthright. It sounds simple, but it’s such a powerful idea.

You don’t have to earn your freedom or fight for it; this is something you’re born with.

From the moment you come into this world, you’ve got the right to make choices, think for yourself, and live the way that feels right for you.

But sometimes, we get caught up in what other people expect from us, and we forget that freedom is already ours.

Author Ryan Holiday once said that a Stoic is someone who looks fate in the eye and says, “Nope, not today.”

They hold their ground.

They push through.

They stick to what’s right, even when life gets tough.

This is because, “If they can force you,” as the Roman philosopher Seneca would say, “then you’ve forgotten how to die.”

What this means is that real freedom isn’t about controlling everything around you, rather it’s about finding strength within yourself.

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In his book Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav talks about something called “authentic power”—a kind of power that no one can take from you.

It’s not about your looks, or how much money you have, or being famous.

It’s something way deeper than that.

As Zukav puts it, “Authentic power is when your personality comes to serve the energy of your soul.”

Basically, it’s when the person you are on the outside lines up with who you truly are on the inside.

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“Life reveals itself more and more,” says Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, “once you dive deep within the depths of your soul.”

That is the only time you’ll see the things that will stick with you long after you’re gone.

This shift in focus helps you stop stressing over your ego and all the little stuff that doesn’t actually make a difference.

Spinoza, one of my favorite philosophers, put it another way: “A free man thinks of nothing less than of death, since his wisdom is a meditation on life, not on death.” In other words, a truly free person is all about how they’re living, not about worrying when their time is up.

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Tim Urban’s The Tail End article gives us a pretty eye-opening look at how much time and energy we really have left.

It’s an eye-opening read that explores just how limited our time and energy really are. 

“You and everyone you know are going to be dead soon.” In that short time, you’ve got a limited number of things to care about — and it’s way fewer than you think.” —Mark Manson

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So, no matter what anyone says or how many opinions come your way, you’ve got to stay true to who you are.

Marcus Aurelius, one of the last truly good Roman emperors, pointed out how easily we care more about what others think about us, than about how we see ourselves.

The mind is such is pretty weird tool.

But the Stoic mindset teaches us something important, which is that you can’t control what happens, but you can control how you respond to what happens.

And so, if you let the pain or the fear you’re feeling take over, in some ways–you’re letting those emotions control you.

Instead, try to connect with the best part of yourself or focus on something bigger that really matters to you.

Ask yourself this every day: “Does what I’m doing right now give me energy or drain me?”

Because, as they say, “Where your attention goes, your energy flows.”

Your brain is like an antenna, constantly picking up signals. Therefore, you want to be careful of what you’re tuning into.

Gandhi put it perfectly: “Don’t let anyone walk on your soul with their dirty feet.”

Don’t allow their negativity to affect you.

Shift your focus, in order to change what you allow in.

Surround yourself with a small circle of people who can help you grow and pushes you to get out of your comfort zone.

You’re not here to be stuck or controlled.

You’re meant to be free, to spread your wings, and to let your spirit soar baby!

“Some birds aren’t meant to be caged,” Morgan Freeman says in The Shawshank Redemption. “Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was wrong to lock them up rejoices.”

So, don’t let fear hold you back.

We’re all a little weird in our own way. Some of us just hide it better.

Always remember that you are loved, you are worthy, your life matters, and being free is your birthright. No matter how long it takes you.

Thanks for reading and stay blessed!

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