Freedom

“The secret of happiness is freedom, the secret of freedom is courage.”  Carrie Jones

I was thinking of a word to live by for 2015.  A word that would help me move forward with focus.  Not for one day or one week but for the entire year.  The two words that kept coming up were freedom and courage.  I couldn’t decide which one would ring true for me and then I found this quote.

How perfect.  Because it is difficult if not impossible to have one without the other.  The definition of freedom is independence, a right or ease of movement.  I love that.  An ease of movement; independence.

It takes courage to choose to have a right regardless of how it will effect you.  You know in your mind what you feel and what you know you really need.  And then fear and doubt enter the picture and the voices of judgement enter.  You ask yourself if you deserve the choice or if your choice will be one other people may not agree with because they have been so used to the way you have behaved in the past.

Freedom takes courage because you must be willing to stand alone with your beliefs.  In the past I have constantly questioned if what I was doing was going to be all right for everyone else forgetting, yet again, that if I am not strong first and choose to take care of my well being I will not be strong for others when the need arises.

This next year I will allow the tears to flow when the fear comes up to make difficult decisions instead of suppressing my feelings.  I know those tears are of relief for finally having the courage to do what is best for my happiness. I don’t want to say yes and then resent the fact that I didn’t have the courage to say no.

I have always been afraid to be alone and so have made emotional choices that have been comfortable but not necessarily free.  And it is my right to have the freedom to live without guilt.  Joseph Campbell summed it up when he said, “Follow your bliss”.  And in writing this I have the courage to choose Freedom.