Ugh. The one thing about working on developing a platform such as this one is the responsibility I know I have to use it. So, in the wake of a pandemic and violence and (I’ll say it) loss of freedoms in the US, where I live, especially with it having been Independence Day this month, I must write today on what I believe is truly freedom.

Freedom exists outside of what others have put on us or created for (or despite?) us. True freedom is not due to a Bill of Rights, a Declaration of Independence, or any law that is put in place to control our bodies or behaviors. There are laws in the U.S. that are choosing to dictate what we can or cannot do with our bodies; with or without severe penalties.

With the pandemic came a lot of rhetoric and self-centered beliefs. It has been important for such a long time in the U.S. and some other first-world countries for people for people to be safe and “free”. What does that really mean? First of all, the question starts with, ‘who is this idea tailored towards?’ I can tell you now, with many of the changes being made currently, this freedom is not tailored towards me.

I am a Black (African-American) woman diagnosed with a chronic illness or disability. Because this is not a (completely) political post, I won’t get into the myriad of ways that black people, women, and those with limited abilities (among other identities) are given DISadvantages and less access to freedom. Instead, I’ll go back to focusing on what freedom – in the more thoughtful, meaningful, and intentional sense – brings up for me.

I believe that anyone can be “free” – yes, including someone with limited physical liberties, like inmates or individuals living in shelter. True freedom – the ability to recognize emotions and visceral memories or thoughts and behave with integrity and intention. When we feel the urge to react as we typically would when experiencing negative emotions – such as anger or fear – freedom is knowing that we still have options. Horrible events and life consequences are powerful… but not more powerful than the human mind. Freedom means having a better sense of self – awareness, love, care – and creating more thoughtful and meaningful ways of being, creating, and doing.

Ways of Freedom

There are ways and means to freedom, and they go beyond your physical state and the control of others. Want to hear some? Keep reading…

Financial Freedom

The FI-RE movement has gained a lot of traction, and it will not slow down. As more and more people learn of the chain-breaking process of living the life they want and even have dreamed about. Nope, money is not everything; yet, it is a tool that allows for opportunities and less struggle. A person with financial independence has the means to design, implement, and change their life and the actions they take on a daily basis. I am not yet there, but I do believe in creating a life of practicing therapy and writing for the purposes of healing, growing, and loving life as a human; as opposed to making a living, I can actually live. Freedom through finances.

Access to Self

With or without money, there is also the healing nature of self-awareness. Different practices and tools create a platform within oneself to react differently even at times when we are deeply emotionally activated. For example, as a person with a highly sensitive and emotional core, I have struggled in life to manage emotions and responses towards those by whom I have felt wronged. The biggest awakening for me was not only what roles I may have to play in any situations or events, but also how important it is for me to first acknowledge my need for healing and how reactions in emotion can impact that for the worse. I created a plan of action and non-action in healing in part to ease the hurt and strain that my reactions to hurtful interactions caused even more than the actual events. In the end, is the person “to blame” really what’s most important? Or is it what you need to heal and move in a world of your own design? I’d say the latter.

A Knowing

Another way of experiencing freedom is through mental shifts and purpose-driven action. Knowing your worth and what you bring not just to life, but to the world. What does this create freedom from? In my own personal work, I’ve been realizing that freedom as an escape can be part of the issue. We feel we need to get away from all of the negative in order to be well and thrive. Freedom can simply be what it is… a way to experience abundance and goodness. Holding in gratitude the parts of our lives that we have allowed for ourselves. Sometimes negative drives us, so trying to escape can have us running in circles trying to get away from something that can help propel us to the life of our dreams. An example? My focus on chronic illness and joy. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness and focusing on being sick has impacted the way I think about joy. It was like I was trying to escape illness to get to joy. Now that I have a better grasp of where I begin and my illness ends, I am focusing on healing, which my joy and my diagnosis have both led me to, instead of taking me through cycles of running away from sickness only to get back to sickness. I am in a better place physically, even with moments of fatigue, pain, and emotional hurt. I am healing.

I would love to write more about freedom; maybe even some more examples and ideas that allow for freedom to come to pass for us as humans. Would that be helpful or desired? Let me know!

I welcome any comments below with thoughts on the words above, or healing and freedom in general. Also, if not subscribed, please feel free to join the email list or let me know if you would like to be notified around the blog! Still working through kinks. Reach out!

Always Joy, Love, and Deuces!

• Kris