For some of us, this past weekend may have been filled with celebration, commemoration and connection. Freedom is at the core of what motivates us to grow and heal, and, ultimately propels our evolution as a species. Being free has always been and will continue to be that which is most sought after and cherished. Yet, why do we only acknowledge this precious gift on just 1 day out of 365? Why not experience the joy and ease of our freedom on a daily, moment-to moment basis?
So many of us struggle and feel shackled by our circumstances, relationships, thoughts or feelings. We often turn to external solutions to soothe our internal maladies and then get discouraged when we still feel stuck and depressed. We spend endless amounts of energy attempting to find some “fix” that will give us a sense of relief, even if fleeting. Eventually, this vicious cycle leads us to despair and so we’re left waiting for the 4th of July to celebrate what has been available to us all year long. I want to remind you that freedom is neither transient nor illusive. It is ever present, waiting patiently for you to acknowledge and experience its life force.
If we examine the nature of all life, we see that it is an ever-changing balance of contraction and expansion, effort and surrender. We witness this melodic dance with each sunrise and sunset, with each change of the seasons. So, where then can we find and reconnect to the freedom that is our God-given right? Well, we must pay attention to the in between; that big space that flows between our desperate attempts to find happiness and our collapsed sense of giving up. Freedom is the vibrant color between the black and white of our extreme existence. Reclaim your sense of freedom by noticing the moments when you’re not efforting or submitting; the times in which you welcome things just as they are without contracting against them or expanding beyond your boundaries. It is in the in between of all life and the in between of each moment that freedom lies.