Freedom is the ability to make choices without being a servant to others. The ability to make decisions without influence, pressure or obligation. People rarely make choices for themselves that actually matter. You make decisions about what to eat for lunch, what clothes to wear, and what to watch on TV, but your probably not making the decisions that really matter in life. Your persuaded by many forces which are not limited to greed, fear, and jealousy. Outside factors guide the choices your making as if they are your own. The outside influences manipulate your choices and frame the selection that benefits them not you.

"Freedom only comes to those who are willing to surrender the security of imprisonment." - Dan Miller

Freedom cannot be achieved without resistance. Click to Tweet. The average American likes the easy way, they fear criticism. Our families and our close friends criticize us when we do something that involves risk. They persuade us to exercise caution out of fear. When seeking freedom you have to let go and face the unknown. It’s not the treasure or trophies you should seek, it’s the experiences and a life worth living. We will fail many more times than we will succeed but you won’t get there unless you let go.

Achieving Freedom

The best way to freedom is living by your means. If you want more money, you have to spend less. The shiny new toys in our lives are only a temporary feel good which accumulate longer term debt. After a short duration the feel good wears off and your left with a cluttered life and empty pockets. These purchases will make you to work longer and harder to achieve financial freedom. The people on reality TV are living scripted lives; research shows that those who watch this content are broke. The price tag doesn’t make you better or more like them, just poor and miserable. You don’t have to work 9-5, 5 days a week, until 67 to retire. You can have everything you want and live at your own pace. Resist the addiction to buy more and free yourself from debt’s shackles.

Create your own Choices

Look inside yourself. Block out the noise that enters you mind from media, the government and all the other sources of information. Your heart will tell you what your passions are. You are the architect of your life so start by writing your own script. Tomorrow is a new day, imagine it as a blank page, don’t let anyone edit it. Society will try to persuade you to live as they see fit. Be different, be weird, and be free. You don’t have to keep up with the things as they are.

Whats Freedom look like?

Freedom looks much different for me than it does for you. For me living a life of gratefulness, flexibility, abundance, and family is the way I’d like to finish. Not worn down and broken from being a servant my whole life. I want to enjoy it while I have my youth and energy, prolonging that desire as long as I can. Living it the way I want to live at my pace.

7 Steps you should take

Get up before everyone else Give yourself 15 minutes of quiet time. Get still and clear your thoughts Ask yourself are you really free? Are you living your life or a scripted one? Where does your moral compass point to? Take action.

What does freedom taste like to you? Leave a comment below.