Our daily lives are often filled with worry, stress, thoughts of the past and fears of the future. The majority of us are often plagued with endless thoughts, doubts, and worries. When we are in these states we are bound by our minds and create countless problems for ourselves and those around us. We are bound to our egos and to being “right”. The result is a society of individuals who are generally unhappy and anxious, detest their jobs, dread being alone, and are regularly involved with interpersonal conflict.
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to experience a pause from this mental noise? To experience a quieting of the mind? To experience freedom? If we could evolve past our pre-conditioning as humans to “create problems” and ”letting our emotions rule”, we could know what it is like to experience true freedom. Freedom is a state of mind. Freedom is a state of being. Freedom is a choice.
While we may never be able to control the painful experiences or the thoughts, we can “control” or manage how we react to them. It is this ”managing” that provides the freedom that we seek. By managing our thoughts and emotions, we can begin to choose actions that are helpful and will lead us to less suffering and greater freedom. We can choose to say words that are gentle and respectful. We can choose to listen to our friends and co-workers and give them the respect and love we all need and deserve. We can choose to discipline our minds so that it is no longer on auto-pilot. We can choose to develop focus and awareness of our thoughts and reactions. It is imperative that our society begin to take steps to begin to let go of the ego, let go of the need to be “right”, let go of the worry, and let go of the suffering. It is time for us all to move toward joy and peace, and ultimately toward freedom. And to make that choice each day and in each situation. It may take us years as individuals, and centuries as a collective, but each moment that we commit ourselves to the goal of freedom, the more we grow and evolve.
It starts with small steps: With teaching ourselves that we are the captain of our own ship and we are responsible for managing our emotions and reactions, With understanding that our thoughts are not always accurate, and that each action either leads us toward happiness or toward suffering, With a self-awareness that acknowledges our personal barriers and a willingness to move past them so that we can live a happier, healthier life, With being grateful each day for the blessings that are all around us, With being mindful of the present moment, With the realization that we are each so very special and have so much to offer and contribute to this world, With compassion and kindness toward our selves as we learn a new way of living, and With teaching our children all the things that we are learning so that their lives will also be joyful and peaceful as they grow into adulthood.
My deepest hope is that we can each inspire each other to evolve so that collectively we bring more peace and joy into this world…that we draw back the veil that has covered our eyes for so long and see the truth of how to help make this world a better place. My deepest hope is that we all break free from whatever it is that holds us back and live fully- once and for all.
Author: Rebecca Cooley