Freedom (noun) – the power of self-determination attributed to the will; the quality of being independent of fate or necessity.

Photographed by @tha_realjordan

We all want freedom. Whether it be financial freedom, emotional freedom or freedom from a bad habit that prevents you from achieving your goals, we all have the desire to exist in a state where we are not tied down by an external source. Freedom is a right, not a privilege. Personally, I desire freedom from my circumstances. I want nothing more than to live a life where I am mentally and emotionally unaffected by my circumstances. I want to be at a place where, regardless of my circumstances, I maintain a level of joy and positivity that is unshakable.

I believe that in order to achieve this state, one must find enough value of self to pursue that freedom relentlessly. We must believe that we deserve freedom from whatever is holding us back. For me, I was the very person/thing that was holding me back from pursuing my dream. I failed to execute on my goals out of fear. That fear stemmed from a lack of self-value. It was not until I recognized my true value that I realized that I deserve the freedom that I desire.

So, why do I desire freedom from my circumstances? I went for years letting life happen to me instead of manipulating my life to fit what I wanted. The problem is, that when you live like this, you are always behind. Again, I did not recognize that I deserved more from my life than I was getting. Once I made the decision to live independent of my circumstances, my quality of life significantly increased. The sun shined a little brighter, the birds chirping in the morning was a little sweeter, I found myself expressing gratitude for the smallest things. Don’t get me wrong, this type of freedom doesn’t come easy, it is something that is practiced. As I improve my practice of freedom, I plan to share my observations and insights in order to, hopefully, help someone discover their own freedom.