Freedom

The 4th of July. Today is the day when we Americans celebrate freedom and independence. I find it no coincidence that today I am reading “Letting Go,” by David Hawkins. This book is about “the pathway to surrender,” a simple and life-changing mechanism whereby anyone can release their attachment to negative, life hindering feelings in order to achieve true personal freedom.

17 years ago, I came across the greatest definition of “freedom” I ever heard: “True freedom is the complete lack on anxiety.” For whatever reason, that struck me as truly profound at the time, and it continues to be a foundational thought for the architecture of my own life, as well as something I wish for everyone.

All of us have the ability to experience this definition of true freedom. And to some degree, we have experienced it from time to time. The key is to be able to experience this kind of freedom ALL the time.

Our feelings control our thoughts, which control our behavior, which, in turn, validates our feelings. And our feelings come from our attachment to things. All we have to do is attach ourselves to the things that produce the feelings, thoughts and behaviors we want for ourselves in life and detach ourselves from the things that don’t. That’s it. Like many things in life, it’s not complicated; it’s just hard.
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Here’s to freedom! May we all appreciate and give thanks to the freedom we enjoy as Americans today, and may we all experience the freedom of living a life without anxiety. Peace, love and happiness is as American as baseball and apple pie. Happy Independence Day!