What if freedom came at a cost?

Here’s an undeniable fact: we all want freedom.  Our desire for freedom is expressed in so many forms.  Whether or not we’re aware of it, our urge for pleasure and our need for escapism are cries of our soul for the freedom we want to experience.

Here’s another fact: we do have freedom.

If every human being is given the freedom of choice, then it can only be true that freedom is ours as long as we decide that it is.  Nonetheless, we often feel trapped in our issues, routines and endless cycles that seem to be getting us nowhere. In situations as such, we classify our lives as “boring” or “dreadful”, and we go on to complain about how the ticking of time seems to be passing by ever so slowly, as we ponder on the purpose of living to survive.

One reason we feel so, is due to our unwillingness to pay the cost of freedom. (Oh the irony, right?) But yes! When money isn’t involved in the process of transaction, the price is often heavier to pay. With that being said, it’s totally worth it. And the lessons learnt throughout this journey will enrich us, and change us from within, for the better!

The invoice is displayed as below.

1. The cost of giving up our comfort zone.

We are born into structures that we have allowed to confine us. Structures come in the form of tradition, routines, and teachings, which we hold on tightly because it is all we have ever known.  While these structures are often good (or at least implemented out of good intentions), it can also limit our ability to experience anything that is outside of it. Often times, these structures can also give us a sense of comfort, as we feel protected and safe, but these feelings will also be accompanied by mundaneness and numbness.

“If the walls around you don’t serve to protect, then it is confining you.”

Don’t allow your structures to limit your creativity.  You know that you have ideas and dreams to chase, so don’t let the fear of taking risks to hold you back.  Learn to thank the structures that shaped you, then leave it to discover all that lies beyond it!  Your ideas are not stupid, and you’ll never know the blessings that it’ll bring if you’re not willing to step out of your comfort zone to explore it.

2. The cost of setting up healthy boundaries and habits.

We don’t have to be trapped in our unhealthy patterns. If we want to fully utilize the freedom we have, we need to first be aware of our shortcomings and our limitations.  The goal knowing our weakness is to follow up with methods to ensure that it doesn’t hold us back.

Healthy boundaries and good habits are acts of discipline that will serve as an antidote to our weaknesses.

“The obstacle between you and your freedom is often the denial of your weaknesses, or the lack of desire to work around it.”

If you want to save money, don’t expose yourselves to places that will make you spend. If you’re lazy wake up in the morning, place your alarm faaaaar away.  If time is not on your side to exercise, park your car far from your office and make walking a daily routine.

Resisting bad temptations and breaking out of bad habits are possible. Prioritize the intention over the magnitude of the action, and don’t expect instant gratification.  Also, don’t underestimate how the little things can really bring you a long way.

3. The cost of letting go our pride.

The pursuit of intellectualism and the experience of success can often allow pride to sneak into our being.  Unsurprisingly, pride is also a factor that limits us from experiencing freedom.

“The old ways may have worked for a while, but it’s a new season!”

In the past, we may have experienced success from a system or approach that is achieved through our own hard work and sacrifice.  That is great! (And we should indeed rejoice in remembrance of it).  Nonetheless, we have to remind ourselves that just because it worked back then, it doesn’t mean that it will work now. If you feel down because an old–and-once-marvelous-idea isn’t effective anymore, be humble, give it up and explore new ideas.

Freedom sounds like a destination, but it is experienced in the journey.  To live in freedom is to take the road less travelled, the road less explored, and the road less comfortable.  It’s not easy though! It would require you to build up courage, take leaps of faith,  and risk being wrong (which is absolutely okay ❤).

So decide, give up, set up and let go. Pack your bags, and get ready for a rewarding journey!