Are you truly free? Many of us think we’re free, and we value our freedom, but really all we’re looking for is an excuse to continue to be addicted. Are you truly free to choose NOT to?

If you’re in front of your favourite dish on a day when you shouldn’t eat it for some reason – are you truly free enough to say no? Are you truly free enough to make the choice to exercise, and have your body comply? Are you free to not procrastinate when you’re feeling lazy? Are you free to skip watching TV/ social media and meditate instead when you’re exhausted? Are you free to do what you know is right for you, even though there may be reasons why you don’t want to do it right now?

If not, how are you free? We’ve confused hardcore enslavement with freedom, and confused being emotionally shut down for being happy. Most people who tell me they’re happy are just shut down. I don’t tell them what I see, what would be the point of that, and also because it takes courage to take the shit along with the joys in the same stride.

Freedom comes with responsibility. It also brings a lot of changes. It is easier to be shut down and tell ourselves we’re happy, we can remain in our comfort zone and continue chasing the things we imagine will bring us joy. Most of us are not seeking freedom at all, we’re actually seeking the freedom to be addicted without resitrctions. Like a cocaine addict saying please just let me have the freedom to take as much as I like.

But… what’s the point of a life like that? Is it enough for you?

When animals are raised in captivity, a lot of us feel bad for them and want them to be free. But thing is, they don’t know what freedom feels like. That limited life is all they know. Like a child being born and brought up in jail – it won’t have as much problem as a person who was once free, because that child has no idea what freedom is like.

Also, in some ways it IS easier being imprisoned, right? We’re comfortable with the same old challenges, the same repetitive patterns in life, rather than being ‘out there’, taking responsibility, taking risks, failing, owning up to our mistakes…

To be free is hard. To learn to live without getting tied down, weighed down by emotional baggage, to not get attached and yet engage with life – this takes years of practice, and we still falter. It’s not an easy life.

But you know what’s harder? To be imprisoned by our minds. To get attached, to chase, to allow people and life events to affect us, and the consequent illnesses they bring… That’s far, far harder.

But people are born and brought up in this jail, it’s all they’ve ever known – and ultimately we’re scared of stepping out of our comfort zone, so it’s something they never explore, never realise. They laugh at those who talk about the skies. Because this is all they’ve ever known. But If you’re on the fence though.. take that leap.