FREEDOM MONTH: DAY 29: “I want freedom for the full expression of my personality.”― Mahatma Gandhi
Expression of the totality of personal ideas, beliefs, thoughts, likes and dislikes, and all of who we are is an ongoing, shifting and changing canvas. While we all would wish for the freedom to allow it to be heard or read or seen in the world, very few people are able to do so. We fear reprisal for not being the same as others, for not being acceptable to others, for not being liked, or whatever we are afraid of. Our sense of insecurity and people pleasing block our ability to just be acceptable, quite often, even to ourselves.
The most important gift we can give ourselves and others is this freedom. To just BE who we are, where we are, how we are…right now. It may change in 5 minutes, but wouldn’t it be lovely to feel our own approval and acceptance? Yes!
If I ask for this freedom from you, I must be able to give it to you. Without fear that we are going to clash or differ in too many ways to get along. Our culture wants us to be divided into sub-groups, by race, by religious beliefs, by nationality, by sexual preference, by what kinds of food we eat, by where we live, by the cars we drive, by how much money we have or spend, by so many outer classifications. It has nothing to do with who we truly are.
It takes incredible courage to claim the freedom to just BE who we are. It takes incredible courage to allow others to be who they are, without imposing our agendas onto them. It has nothing to do with us. It has nothing to do with the world we inhabit if others are allowed to believe things that are different from what we believe, or behave in a fashion that is different from us. And yet, we are threatened by everything, fearful of the differences, as if they pose or endanger us in some way. Our responses are angry, bitter, fearful, and just damned mean. What is that about? Ego…fear…old ideas.
Today perhaps we can step out of that box to heal our loving hearts, today we can AMEND these ways by looking at how we flourish when given the opportunity to just BE us. And let the rest of the world, one person at a time, live the same way. We all want the same things in our hearts…to be loved and accepted, no matter what our differences might be. Total freedom!
Dolphin Hug 