The key to freedom
HI guys! Welcome to the 96th episode of the Wildly Successful Lifestyle podcast! I hope
I am curious as to what everyone initial thought was when they read the title of this episode. What would you think the key to freedom is? Money? Not having to work a 9-5 job? Being able to set your own hours? All of that is ok but that isn’t what I’m talking about today.
You can have money and not be free.
You can have your own business and not be free.
You can set your own hours and not be free.
The kind of freedom I’m talking about is in your head. I’m talking about Freedom from the limiting beliefs that were instilled in some way or another during our life. Freedom of other people’s opinions.
I read a meme this last week, in fact I shared it on my Instagram stories and it “If you’re not changing it, you’re choosing it”.
That hit deep.
So often we want to blame others for the predicaments we find ourselves in. Truth is, you are a product of your life decisions. You are where you are because of you. Good or bad. We sometimes want to take credit for the good and blame someone else for the bad. Unfortunately, I’ve realized as I’ve gotten older. It’s all on me. Good or bad And that is a really really good thing to know. You want to know why? Because if we accept responsibility then we are in control and then we know we can change it. If we blame others, we are a victim, we have no control, it’s someone else’s fault. Personal responsibility is one of the main tenets of freedom. How many people do you know that have a strong sense of personal responsibility and see themselves as a victim? I’ve not met one. This is not to say all circumstances are your fault, but how you respond to them is all you.
I grew up in a religion where divorce just wasn’t ok. But the religion also encouraged you to be married young. I was married at 19 to someone that ended up not being that great, to say the least. I had to make a decision to stay and lose myself or to leave and risk losing everything that I knew and loved. I look back and am so proud of that young me who made the incredibly difficult decision to leave. No-one in my immediate circle was urging me or even encouraging me to leave but I knew it was right for me and so I did it. I’m also incredibly proud of my family who are still in the religion for finding a way around the typical shunning that would normally happen. We have all grown a lot because of a decision I made on my own at 27. My life would not resemble anything near to the one I live had I been afraid to make a major life change. Sometimes we stay in situations because changing it is too scary. We focus too much on what we could lose and not enough on the life we could gain on the other side of that decision. Again…it all goes back to your thoughts…
So that’s the first thing I wanted to say about Freedom. Freedom to take control of your life by not playing the victim. Freedom to take responsibility for your life in a way that empowers you and emboldens you. We all have a story but are we using that story to play the victim or are we using that story as fuel to make a better life for ourselves and our family? That’s our choice. Not changing something in your life that needs to change is a choice too…..
The second thing is this…A really really big part of feeling free is not worrying what other people think. Wayne Dyer said “What other people think of me is none of my business”. That really is a great statement because it’s true. Other people’s opinions don’t matter at all unless we let them. You get to decide if you let them or not. Don’t be held hostage by anyone telling you what you can and cannot do in order to be part of their life. My family still doesn’t approve of me not being a part of their religion but I stopped making that my issue. I don’t control what they do and They don’t have leverage anymore because I realize that what’s meant for me will always be, no-one can take that away. The same goes for you. You have to have your own back and then Surround yourself with people that love you for who you are, not who they want you to be. You are worthy of that, I promise you. Be strong enough to realize that the opinion that counts is yours and you have an inner guidance system that tells you what is right and what is wrong for you.
How much of our life do we live making decisions based on what other people will feel about what we are doing.
What we wear or don’t wear
What we post on social media or don’t post
What we do for a living
Are we making decisions based on what will be best for us or are we making decisions based on what other people will think? Remember what I said earlier, our life is a product of our decisions, and so is everyone else’s.
We were raised in a society where we are taught that we should put the needs and thoughts of others before our own, but if you aren’t concerned with your own feelings then who will be? Some of the strongest people I know, who also happen to be some of the most giving people I know, have a strong sense of worthiness and value. They never sell themselves short.
I’m not encouraging you to be callous, I just simply want you to realize that you are worthy of a life that is good. You are worthy of being loved and you are worthy no matter what anyone else says. I believe God created you to be your very own Beautiful, unique self. Your self worth should not be tied to what other people believe of you. You’re worthy because you were born. Now each of us has a responsibility to make the most of that life…
We would all do well to focus mainly on the things we control and our life will be exponentially better for it. So what do you control?
The food you feed your body
The things you feed your mind
The amount of exercise you get
The thoughts you have about anything
And the people you surround yourself with
Don’t be enslaved to sugar, to the news, to the sofa, to negative self talk and people who don’t have your back.
If you made it your goal to improve each one of these things this year, I think you will find you are empowering yourself and when you are empowered you’re free. I love you guys and I’ll talk to you in a few days.
