How Does Freedom Feel To You?

I was talking about freedom with some friends the other day, and they were describing the emotions they feel when they think about being free. They were all desirable states of being. It was expansive for them and gave them hope. They’d been weighed down by resistance that they couldn’t quite define. But when they started looking at how freedom would feel, they were able to identify where they needed more. How does freedom feel to you? Is it relief, or joy, or curiosity? Maybe it feels expansive?

 

Compare and contrast

You could look at gaining freedom as leaving the shoulds behind and focusing on what you could be doing. Or maybe frame it up as an opportunity for creativity vs being constrained. It implies that you get to choose what to do – that you have a blank slate and can write whatever you want on it.

 

Some may not relish it

Freedom stresses some people out. Sometimes they aren’t confident about their ability to choose a path – it may be more comfortable to have a formula or guidelines. Others could fear failure and not want to take the risk of being responsible for the outcome. And yet others could fear the possibility of success – it can be scary to accept the power we actually have.

 

Boundaries are related to freedom

When my clients want to change their subconscious beliefs about boundaries, it’s usually in order to help them establish boundaries as a protection of their time, energy, and priorities. They’ve let other people take over their lives in some way. Establishing and maintaining boundaries is a way to get back their freedom or autonomy.

 

The other side of boundaries

But boundaries can also be constraints. They could be keeping you boxed in and playing smaller than you want to be. So sometimes, you need to expand or move your boundaries to experience freedom.

 

The spectrum of freedom

Of course, freedom isn’t really an either/or state of being. There are degrees. When I worked in corporate, whenever the chain of command changed for me, I wanted to be clear about what the guidelines were – which decisions were mine to make and which needed to be discussed. I think we all have different comfort points for freedom, depending on the situation. These could be related to our experience with the situation or how much of a maverick we are or any number of other things. And all of these depend on the subconscious beliefs we’ve acquired.

 

How can I help?

If you’re feeling scared because you have too much freedom or if you’re feeling frustrated by the lack of it, there are ways to change how you perceive your ability and/or your situation so that you have the amount of freedom that is just right for you. I’d be happy to discuss that with you. Book a free call here.