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A post elsewhere got me wondering about this. We talk about having our freedom, but what does that mean to you?
For me quite simply it’s being able to do what makes my heart sing.
I have people in my life who love me as I am, don’t try to change me, and don’t stop me from doing what I want with my life. Some might see those relationships as a tie, but far from it, they are the ones who cheer me on when things are going well and form my safety net when things aren’t going quite so well.
I love socialising, but equally I’m happy in my own company.
I am far from rich but I have enough money to pay my bills, I have a roof over my head, food on the table, clothes on my back, heat when I need it, and no bailiffs knocking at the door and no need to keep looking over my shoulder.
Workwise I’ve had 22 years on the corporate treadmill – that was not freedom! Then illness and the side effects of medication meant that I didn’t work for a few years, I was forced to rely on the benefits system (which I hated!), money was tight to say the least – that was not freedom! Now I am independant, I have my own shop selling things that I feel passionate about, meeting some wonderful people and having some fascinating conversations, great experiences (excluding the downright rude customers and those that make indecent propositions!), it doesn’t feel like work at all. I touch so many peoples lives in a positive way and they touch mine. For the first time I can look forward and say “if I was still doing this when I retired, how would I feel?” and the answer is “do I have to retire?” :lol:
I joke about having slightly rose-tinted glasses and I guess that I do in that I tend to see the good in everything and everyone, but I think my sense of freedom in all of the above is not from those rose-tinted glasses but that I feel truly blessed to be in the right place for me. It might not suit everyone, some might see some of the above as ties, but ties are only ties if they stop you being who you truly are and hold you back. These are not ties for me but blessings.
I know that this might come across as smug to some, it’s not meant to be that way. I’ve known good times and I’ve known bad, indeed desolate times, like so many others. Now I count my blessings every day, and they come in many forms and I am truly rich.
So…..what does freedom mean to you?
:D
Freedom is to me a many headed creature. I have broken down these heads into two components.
The physical component and the psychological component… Physically of course, Freedom to move, to travel and explore without restrictions.
Psychologically, Freedom has ever changing goal posts. What you describe jen is contentment, while I agree that this pleases you and gives you the impression of Freedom, I have to question its validity. You mention the corporate treadmill and follow on to say that you are now “independent”. A contradiction in terms no less. While you may consider your business a Freedom from the corporate treadmill, it will never be so. Every penny generated by your business feeds the very system indoctrinated with corporatism.I don’t propose to even try to explain what Freedom is, this would be virtually impossible to do.
For me, the path to Freedom has involved sacrifices in terms of relinquishing corporate subscription, of course, it will never be truly relinquished simply because I receive state money, and this in turn is taxed and thus feeds into that very same system. Granted the amount is negligible but, it is beyond my control. Unfortunately, true Freedom in the sense of both components, is fast becoming unreachable, it is so very important that contentment not be confused with true Freedom.Freedom globally, cannot be separated form conscience. The ever increasing capitalist snowball now seemingly impossible to stop, is about to devour the third world also.
I have not the slightest doubt in my mind that your intentions and actions, are to the benefit of good and good for all…. Freedom in its true form of course, will carry on being elusive and trapped, trapped within a reality that in itself becomes even more elusive each and everyday.
Ask yourself, this country, now with its crippling debt. Just who on earth do we owe this hideous amount of money to ? If you can gain a true understanding of the answer to that question, then you will understand the reason i say, true Freedom, is fast becoming unreachable.I was talking personal freedom, what it means to you. Strange how you focus on one paragraph and even then just one aspect of that paragraph, and ignore the rest but hey ho.
What I describe is my freedom to follow my true path, to hear my heart sing each day with that freedom, and it is that freedom that gives rise to contentment. Yes I am independant, I run my business out of my own choice, I answer to no-one, and if I chose to walk away from it then once the formalities are dealt with, I can. I chose to deal with predominantly small businesses like myself rather than the larger corporate suppliers, and all trade ethically.
Yes I pay tax, NI, and when I reach the threshold I will pay VAT. Is that a bad thing? Tell me, how would this country work if no-one paid these things? Where would your benefits come from? The schools? The healthcare system? and so on.
But who I am and how I define freedom goes so much further than what I do for a living.
So, on a personal level, what does freedom mean to you?
To gain “Personal Freedom” it cannot be seperated from conscience in my opinion.
Of course, true Freedom as i have said, will remain elusive. My personal feelings are that i have achieved Freedom…. I have an inner peace that derives from my understanding and from withdrawal of a system that seeks to dominate and control in almost every aspect of daily life.
There was a time when the world operated before the existence of “money”. Answer my question, who on earth is this country in ” debt ” to ?@gazlan wrote:
Answer my question, who on earth is this country in ” debt ” to ?
That’s a whole different subject…feel free to open your own thread :D
On the contrary… While you and many others subscribe to this system in the way you do, a system that collects capital and uses it to carry out barbaric acts of war and suppression across the world, true Freedom will never be established.
What you have described in your summary of “personal Freedom” is no more than your own interpretation of contentment, in other words,” haul the ladder up jack, i`m alright”….. Freedom from indoctrination, institutional negligence and entrapment etc, etc, etc…… You are no more Free than the caged animal in a zoo, put there for the amusement and capital generating entertainment of its captors… If but you knew it :wink:
Lovely thread Jen… sadly overtaken by bold text which I can’t be bothered to read…… I hope one day to achieve the personal freedom and inner peace that you have…. until that day I willl count my blessings for what i do have and work on the things I don’t :)
Well the topic was what does freedom mean to you….that’s what freedom means to me, the freedom to live my life as I chose. There are aspects of my life that others may condemn me for, in fact they frequently do, but I have the freedom to live my life that way.
And far from being “I’m alright Jack” I also use my freedom to try to help others find their path to their personal freedom, however they may define that.
Now if you want to have a rant about the world and all its injustices you are of course free to do so, but please open your own thread for that. :D
@Velvet 1 wrote:
Lovely thread Jen… sadly overtaken by bold text which I can’t be bothered to read…… I hope one day to achieve the personal freedom and inner peace that you have…. until that day I willl count my blessings for what i do have and work on the things I don’t :)
Thank you Velvet. :D
As an aside, do you think bold text is a slightly quieter version of the shouting of capital letters? :?
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