The greatest liberator in our life can be our mind. It can also place extensive limits on us for no reason. Freedom is an innate desire within us and our thoughts play a major role in how free we feel. We all want to be free enough to express who each of us is as fully as we can. Our thoughts will determine the amount of freedom we allow ourselves to have.
How does the mind liberate and/or limit us? Let’s begin with the limiting aspect. Thoughts and beliefs limit everyone and this is how it happens. From the earliest moments of our life we are taught ideas and beliefs that are passed on to us from our parents and those around us. These ideas and beliefs often are not true and therefore limit what is possible for us. An example of those false beliefs include children, raised in families where low self-esteem is prevalent or there is substance abuse going on, often learn to not believe in themselves and their emotions.
People raised in strong beliefs systems like churches often learn many false beliefs that are passed on by well intended but not really critically thinking people. Schools teach that you can be a failure, which is simply not true. The school system is the failure if people are failing. Society teaches us many rules and beliefs to fit in but many of those ideas need to be questioned. Our peer groups teach us what to think and believe and those too need to be examined. The nightly news is filled with drama and fear decided for entertainment affect and that can make the viewer think the world is a scary place when it is not as it seems.
Every thought, idea, and belief needs to be examined with an objective eye on what is genuine truth and what is not. We are only as free as our thoughts are and if we have many unexamined thoughts running us then we are not free. Yes our thoughts run us and if they are faulty they often run us aground. Have you every felt stuck or filled with negative emotions, those are often caused by faulty thoughts.
So where does freedom come in? Freedom comes from knowing our thoughts and self-talk and making sure this endless inner dialogue is as true and real as we can. The practices of mindfulness and meditation are to help us see through the parade of our thoughts into the deeper truth. Impartiality is a skill we develop through mindful activities. When we have impartiality we can see and feel what is true and do so without judging ourselves in any limiting way.
We are as free as our mind is. If our thoughts are clear, our life clears up. If we are optimistic, things work out better. If we pay attention to what we think, we can free ourselves from limits.
This year make a commitment to being more mindful of your thoughts and inner dialogue. Make sure that you are free to be all that you want to be and free enough to create what your desire. Start this New Year off right by liberating yourself to have a better life.