Trapped

Freedom.

A word that carries the blood of the many who fought for it.

Freedom is loosely defined as "the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints."  It is a good definition.  Yet, my question today is "Are we really free?"  The answer to this question lies in the definition of freedom.  EXTERNALLY we may be free from imposed restraints, after all most of us live in a free country, we have freedom of speech and we are allowed to act, think and do freely, but internally?  Internally most of us struggle to achieve freedom.   We are bound by self imposed restraints.  We are handcuffed to our own perceptions, expectations and preconceived ideas.

Most people have dreams and goals.  We harbour certain ideas and we hold onto our hopes, yet how many actually achieve their goals.  How many people do you know who fearlessly pursued their dreams?  No many.  The world is filled with people wistfully looking at the achievers, the inventors and self-made millionaires out there and wish they had that same "luck"!!!

The truth is that "Luck" has nothing to do with it.  We like to use Luck as an excuse not to pursue our dreams, not to go after our goals with tenacity.  As long as we hide behind the concept of luck we have a reason why it is okay never to try, never to take action or take a leap of faith.

Our very first need as human beings is that of survival,  Self-preservation.  We want security.  We want safety.  When we buy something we want guarantees and warranties.  We want to be in control of life, of circumstances and of other people.  We want to be able to predict what will happen and when it will happen.  But surprise, surprise, life does not work like that.  It may seem as if we are in control, but it is usually just an illusion.  It is when this illusion is shattered that we experience life at its most difficult.  Life is not conforming to our expectations and we rebel against it.  We rally against it and we start making the wrong choices and decisions in order to gain control.  We become frantic, like a fish caught on a hook, we struggle against the fishing line until we are exhausted to the point of death.

To really be free we have to escape the prisons we have created for ourselves.  We have to quit our ideas about not being good enough, we have to stop the negative self-talk and we have to stop creating obstacles for ourselves.

We have to start TRUSTING and LETTING GO!

We have to believe in our dreams. We have to trust that we are worthy of good things happening to us.  We have to believe in the good plans the Lord has promised He has in store for us.  TRUST him.  If we say that we trust Him then we also have to LET GO.  We have to let go of fear, of doubt and of our "realistic" negativity.  We have to relax and go with the flow.  If only the fish could learn to relax, to allaw the line to go slack it would stand a better chance to slip the hook.

If you have a dream or a goal it is important to follow the following four steps:

1.Visualize. 

Imagine your dream.  Visualize what it would feel like when you achieve your goal.  What would it mean to you and your family.  Think about how you would go about reaching your goal and what steps you need to take to get there.  However, be open.  Be open to taking other paths to reach your destiny, be open to better ways to make it happen and do not be hemmed in by your own limited thinking.

2. Be Positive

Believe in your dream.  Do not listen to the naysayers.  However, be honest with yourself about what to you may need to change in order to reach your goal.  Examine it from all angles, but never give up, stay focused.

3. Affirm Your Dream

It is not enough to dream it, think it and visualize it.  You have to commit to it 100%.  You have to say it out loud,  you have to write it down and you have to own it.  You are not somebody who hopes to become a manager, you ARE a manager, athlete, executive or whatever.  Be what you dream!!!!

4. Expect It

Never give up on your dream.  Expect it, it IS coming your way because you are going towards it one day, one step at a time.  You are actively pursuing it.

I would like to sum it up with the three W's:

Willingness, Waiting and Waking Up

Willingness to Trust and Let Go

Waiting and being ready for the opportune moment while you plan.

Waking Up, stop dreaming and go over to action.