The Adventures of the Blind/Low Vision/Visually Impaired (BLOI) Girl: Volume 67: Is Freedom just another word for nothing left to lose?
I am a stable, organized person who is responsible and somewhat of a risk taker. Lately, I have been wondering, however, if I am free in the sense of being able to let go, have a good time, and do things I want to do, not just what I have to do. At times I envy those that can just go out during the week, or take a vacation, or buy something extravagant, or drive a car. Not because those things would make me happy, but it is those things that would make me feel more free. The concept of feeling free is the focus of this blog. But first…………
My WTF of the week is the fact that I received the absolute meanest, most vicious e-mail ever from a person I do not know and have only spoken to twice in a professional matter. I have to put some of the quotes so you can get a sense of the level of nastiness. Please note I did not correct spelling or grammatical errors. “I guess some people think everything is owed to them and appreciate nothing. I cant imagine what you teach people through life by design. I can only hope its not through example”. Another good one-“It seems in that circle they have come to expect that sort of behavior from you. Always the agressor, yet always the victim.” And the best one- “What a sad person you must be”. There were lots more than just these nuggets. At first my reaction was shock, and then I cried. But by the third time I read it I realized it was absurd to get upset at a clearly angry individual who knows nothing of me but could take the time and energy to write the e-mail. All I have to say is that I forgive you and sometimes medication is a good thing.
This week I can’t get enough of the OWN channel (otherwise known as the Oprah Winfrey Network). I watched OWN for the first time this past Sunday, as I do not watch much TV (well other than Mad Men and Bravo). Luckily I was watching Super Soul Sunday and they had some awesome shows. She was interviewing Deepak Chopra in India and he was just throwing out one awesome quote after another. They had a great show on Bishop TD jakes and of course a Tony Robbins Lifeclass. At night I watched the Oprah in India special. Everything I watched was so compelling and relevant to what I do. The LifeClass series is awesome. The free advice and wisdom is just being thrown out every minute. On one show one of her experts said, about relationships. “when you see crazy coming, cross the street”. I am totally using that one in coaching. I could easily become a fan of the channel and I do think everyone should check it out, especially the Lifeclass series and the Master Class series. Really good stuff.
As a single mom and a business owner I have lots of responsibilities and not a lot of time. In addition, because I cannot drive, it limits where I can go and when. So at times I feel trapped, in my house or in my circumstance. Part of getting some freedom was getting the motorized tricycle. That gives me the freedom to go places when I just feel like it. But I was also thinking about how to get a sense of freedom in the midst of obligations. A friend told me that freedom is all in your mind. I think part of freedom is having the ability to choose or as I tell my clients to be in a place of choice. This means recognizing what is in your control and not in your control. So freedom means recognizing what you can control, looking at options and taking action. And that is what I try to do, so in that I am free. Freedom also means feeling you have the right and ability to be, act and do. That means seeing possibilities and that they are open and available to me, basically the belief that “I can do that or try that”. And in that I am free. Freedom also means having a sense of fun and joy. For me this means that I can go out and dance and sing sometimes. Right now I am not doing those things, so I have decided tis start dancing again and maybe singing because this makes me feel happy and creative, and in that I feel free. Madonna says “only when I'm dancing do I feel this free” and I think there is truth to that.
So, when I really thought about freedom and what it means, I realized that I am free. Maybe I thought freedom meant having no responsibilities, or having everything available and in your control. But that is not freedom. And freedom probably means different things to different people. So I think when we feel overwhelmed, or constrained or even stuck I think we should consider what makes us feel free and to first free our minds. “Free your mind and the rest will follow”, Salt and Pepper sing. And they are right. Being free in your mind, being open to possibility, being able to see yourself in new roles and ways of being and doing, and being in a place of choice, even amongst obligation, makes us free.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlok
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