Freedom

Broadly speaking, Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

 

From the moment we are born, we are constantly seeking freedom. Whatever status one has, he/she is always longing for the next level of freedom than his/her current status.

Infants want the freedom from different discomforts caused by hunger, pain etc. Toddlers and school age kids want freedom to behave as per their will. In fact we all want that freedom to behave as per our will; it's just that as we grow older we understand consequences of at lest few of our actions and we try to regulate our free will with our responsibilities.

 

History and world politics are constantly showing us that in order to become a super power one country tries to take over the other country. The other country fights for it's freedom. Every country wants freedom of choosing their own leaders, laws and so on.

 

Whenever certain elements in the society become powerful, they try to rule others, trying to affect their rights. We constantly see civil right movements, women rights movement happening in the society. We all want to have basic freedom in society and do not want to compromise on it just on the name of race, skin color, gender etc.

 

At personal level also we want our freedom at home and at work to be safe, to use our personal space, to take decisions at least in our own matters etc.

Overall when I look at this search and longing from freedom, I feel freedom apparently seems to be a very basic need but actually it is quite a higher goal of being. It is a whole journey of exploration. In fact it won't be wrong if I say the whole purpose of being is only reaching freedom.

Being free is never easy though. As the popular American idiom says "Freedom is not free!" Seeking freedom is a constant process. It's an ongoing battle. The battle starts with our own self first. To be free, one needs to break chains of bondages. Breaking anything requires efforts and strength. Every one has there own chains to break but I think to be free, first and foremost bond to break is the bond of fear. To try something out of our current status, out of our comfort zone, one needs to conquer that fear. I really have heartfelt respect for that first person who started to speak or act against the ruling superpower and who dared to ask for freedom in any country's freedom fight movement. That person must have first gathered the courage to first break that bond of fear, self doubt  and insecurity before facing the world.

 

Freedom also brings responsibilities. When you are walking the path of freedom, it is most likely that you will be alone on that path to take those responsibilities and face the hurdles to carry them. One needs to break the bonds of attachments and so many weaknesses of mind.

 

When you are thinking of freedom, you are already thinking "out of box". To think like this one also needs to break the bonds of so many intrinsic and extrinsic biases that we carry for so many years.

Even though, freedom is so hard to earn and the journey is so difficult; it is the most powerful and precious gift one can give to oneself. It is so beautiful to break these unnecessary bonds and evolve as a person. Forget about reaching the destination of freedom, the journey itself is so rewarding. As you start overcoming the fears, you start feeling good about yourself. The journey towards freedom is almost a journey towards self realization.

Though, on the way, one needs to remember that during our journey towards freedom, we are not hurting any body else's freedom. There needs to be a good balance between freedom and responsibilities. Otherwise we see in many teenagers, certain cultures that the journey gets drifted from it's path. The beauty of this journey is in building on our own strengths to be powerful and ultimately to be free from inhibitions. It's not in feeling powerful temporarily by dominating some one weaker and not reaching any where.

The journey is always on and may all reach their destinations!