Your Journey to Freedom — Your Heart’s Adventure
Freedom – what a concept! People have longed for it, died for it. Freedom to love who you want, to be who you are, to vote, to be a fully respected member of your community. Freedom from persecution. Freedom to be all you can be. When you begin to open yourself to life’s possibilities, you also free yourself to be who you really are. I like to call this journey of self discovery your Heart’s Adventure.
So, is freedom just another word for nothing left to lose, or are you free to live a life of abundance? Do you define freedom in your head or do you experience it in your heart? Do you really know what it feels like to be free? And, given the opportunity, do you allow yourself to experience it? Have you taken the time to listen to your heart?
These are all personal questions that we’re left to answer on our own. The truth is that one person’s idea of freedom may be another person’s jail cell. Are we free to practice our religious beliefs or are we shackled by our chosen ideology? Are we free to express our individuality, or does this expression ultimately follow the cultural norms of just one of many subcultures. We are constantly struggling to understand our world and our place in it, but how do we know when we’re operating “outside of the box” or just stepping into another box we have yet to define?
We may think of freedom as a goal that once attained is never lost (e.g. civil or legal rights), but when it comes to our own personal journeys, our heart’s adventure, we see that freedom is more a state of mind. And it can be easy to lose focus as we travel the rocky roads of life’s adventure.
So if the journey to freedom in your life is a process of self discovery — your heart’s adventure — where do you start? And how do you know when you get “there?” While the journey, as Dorothy discovered in the Wizard of Oz, may be fraught with fear and excitement, your heart’s desire and the freedom that you seek may ultimately be closer than you think.
If simply clicking your heels does not get you where you want to be, there are things that you can do to prepare for the journey. First, there may be things you need to let go of, to lighten your load – to move more freely and gain additional perspective. Second, once you’ve lightened your load, what do you have to reinforce you, to nourish you and give you energy to face life’s difficulties and continue on your journey?
What do you need to let go of on your journey to be free?
“Thank goodness the Barn Roof fell in – Now we can see the stars” ~Author Unknown
As noted earlier, freedom is so much about perspective. When you let go of negative thoughts and unhealthy perspectives you free yourself to experience the world in new ways. With a culture often focused on constant news reports broadcasting what is wrong in the world, it is easy to get in to the habit of worry: “expecting the worst” and “fortunetelling” negative outcomes. In an attempt to explain our world we can also trap ourselves in “black and white” thinking: believing that a person place or thing is either all good or all bad. These ways of thinking become ingrained bad habits that trap us in a world of dissatisfaction. What would happen if you let go of these thoughts and worries?
Besides letting go of negative thoughts, it’s important to be aware of how these thoughts trap us in unhealthy patterns/behaviors: overeating, overspending, or involving ourselves again and again in unhealthy relationships, walking in circles and never getting where we want to be. Letting go can be an ongoing/difficult process – sometimes we hold on to unhealthy patterns simply because they are familiar. Letting go of guilt and facing our fears, and letting go of those things that have held us back, is not easy; it requires learning new ways to be in the world. We are sometimes trapped in a dance with people, places and things. What would happen if you changed the dance by taking a different step?
What can support this journey to greater freedom?
“Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination, allows vision, and gives us the “right stuff” to turn our dreams into reality.” ~ James Womack
Once you have begun the process of letting go of unhealthy patterns, you can begin to approach the world in a new way and develop new patterns — a new dance. This is truly where your heart’s adventure begins: opening up to your potential, following your dreams, finding the path that is most energizing and fulfilling. Commitment… to a career, a relationship, a special project, or to personal growth… can provide the energy that lifts you up and opens you up to take advantage of life’s opportunities.
With this energy the path becomes clearer. This additional perspective allows you to see what you need to manage the journey. Do you need to learn additional skills? Do you need additional support? Do you need to learn to be more fiscally responsible to free yourself from financial stress? Can learning more about yourself and building relationship skills free you to truly enjoy that special person in your life?
Are you prepared for the journey? The letting go and opening up are steps on your heart’s adventure. Are you ready to let go of the baggage that weighs you down? Are you open to seeing the beauty and opportunity around you? Sometimes the road to freedom may be rocky and you may feel lost. At times there’s no way out but through.
Help you on your journey
As you travel on your life’s journey, letting go of those things that weigh you down and opening up to your hearts adventure requires self reflection and evaluation. It may sometimes be important to have an objective voice, someone to help remind you of where you want to be and to support you to find ways to reach your destination with less struggle and less pain.
A life coach can be of great assistance in forging new paths in your life and supporting your best in making your dreams and visions a reality. A life coach can help you maximize personal development and navigate transitions on the path to realizing your ideal vision for current and emerging chapters in your life. A life coach can help you believe in yourself, and at times can help you see an easier or more fulfilling path to your goals.
Enjoy the journey realizing that there are many twists and turns in the road. Each experience offers the opportunity to learn and grow. Would Dorothy still have gained an appreciation of home had she clicked her heels after just arriving in Munchkin Land? Would she have believed it could be true?
There is great power in hope and the fire it ignites inside of us, moving us to a place of greater possibility. Ultimately true freedom lives in the ability to take advantage of the opportunities your life’s journey offers. Are you ready to let go? Are you willing to open up. Are you prepared to dance into your heart’s adventure?
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Glen McClintock, MSW is a Life and Relationship Coach and Licensed Psychotherapist in Central Vermont. For more information see his website at heartsadventure.com