Tomorrow is Independence Day–the day we pause to honor our nation’s heritage and history.
Of all the values that define America, perhaps it’s freedom that most inspires.
What does freedom mean to you?
Does it mean you get to do what you want?
That nobody can tell you how to live your life?
Does it mean equal opportunity and expanded choice?
All of these are meaningful benefits of living in a free country and the “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” that our forefathers so wisely saw to protect, but what about inner freedom?
What if American independence was paving the way toward an even deeper step in the spiritual evolution of the planet?
Inner Freedom means the ability to meet all of life from a place of love, trust, joy, and willingness.
…to serve each moment with the Highest within you and allow the ride to be bumpy or smooth as it will.
Consider: Do I have the ability to move through life without allowing my experiences to hijack my sense of well-being or happiness?
If I can’t sit through a political debate without shouting at the television screen, am I really free?
If I can’t interact with my mother-in-law without feeling triggered, is that freedom?
If I can’t say no because I’m so afraid of what others will think of me, do I really have a choice?
These are deeper, more internal ways of looking at our personal freedoms, and what’s interesting is, nobody can take these choices from us.
They are totally in our own control.
Mindfulness is about as American as it gets, because at its core, it’s about the pursuit of inner freedom.
Inner freedom is impossible without some core spiritual awakenings:
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There is a difference between my Higher Self (the part of me that is wise, connected, whole, Divine) and my personal self (what some spiritual teachers call the ego or false self).
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The personal self is and always will be driven by fear and desire. It will always be endlessly self-serving, irritated, complaining, or attempting to make itself a victim.
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The purpose of life is to use every single experience, every single moment, as an opportunity to let go of the personal self, and to instead serve the moment with the Highest that is in me – centered, intentional, and free.
In other words: Letting go of the personal self = inner freedom = the purpose of life
Mindfulness and meditation can help us awaken to both:
- the Higher Self that is free, unbounded, whole, and found through embodied presence…
- AND the personal self that is small, fearful, stressed out, and self-seeking.
The more awareness we have of both of these aspects of our humanity, the more we have the freedom to choose.
Life becomes a game: How deeply and quickly can I let go?
How quickly can I recognize that I’m reacting or resisting from my small personal self and instead relax into experiencing whatever might be arising, with curiosity and non-judgment?
This month, we’ll be exploring Freedom in our weekly emails, and we hope you’ll feel inspired to raise your awareness and your level of self-accountability.
In our view and personal experience, there is nothing that matters more than taking full ownership of our thoughts, minds, mindsets, and actions…from a place of love, trust, and curiosity.
It’s the adventure of a lifetime; a personal revolution as messy and world-changing as the one we’ll celebrate tomorrow with fireworks, corn on the cob, and country music.
Let’s be part of the energy that will allow this world, this nation, our friends and neighbors, ourselves, to heal and find the wholeness and humanity we’re all capable of.
Your Fellow on the Journey,
Becky