The USA is celebrating Independence Day. Freedom is not only for Americans, but we think of it as our special inheritance, fought for at a great price, and a heritage to be cherished and guarded. We are stewards of this gift. We cherish the immortal words that resonate over the centuries:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
There are many definitions and explanations of freedom. For me, freedom includes two very important tenants. First, the principle of free will and second, self-control.
Free will has to do with freedom of choice. You have to be a free agent in your relationships, to make your own decisions, to be free from the arbitrary authority of others, and to be able to choose how you wish to use your services or property rather than to be subject to coercion by others.
Freedom of choice means you are able to choose your own course of action and your own pattern of living, subject to the requirement that you shall not act so as to violate the freedom of choice of others.
In a free society, each and every person has legal control (or "ownership") of their own body and mind. Self-control is the freedom to be responsible. When the Athenians started to wish mostly for freedom from responsibility, they ceased to be free.
Edmund Burke, the Anglo-Irish statesman and philosopher who served for many years in the British House of Commons and who supported the American colonies in their dispute with King George III that led to the American Revolution said: “It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.” The less inner control you have, the more external fetters will hold you down.
How can you bring more freedom into your life and work?
True freedom - the kind that makes you peaceful and happy, the kind that overwhelms you with gratitude - comes from within. It’s when YOU decide to do something worthwhile, or to let something go. It’s an internal job. I want to propose 5 ways to bring more freedom into your life and work:
1. Intention
You are ultimately responsible for your own actions. If you want to be truly free, nothing can stop you. But it has to begin with intention and purpose. Intention has to do with what you wish to accomplish. It comes from your soul. You can choose to affirm and celebrate or to debunk and destroy. The choice is yours alone.
If you want more freedom, you do have to have a clear intention to keep your integrity. You hold the pen to the story you write with your life! You can transform an environment of negativity, suffering, and constrains into healing, empowerment, and awareness, where the seeds of freedom can blossom.
2. Attention
Our attention is one the most powerful things we possess. Whatever you pay attention to is what you become conscious of, and what you reinforce. What you pay attention to will shape your attitude and how you respond to situations and decisions that shape your life and work.
You can choose how to respond to a given situation. Give attention to everything happening around you in a given moment and you will have the liberty to decide how to respond.
3. Reflection
You need to take time to reflect on the thoughts and emotions that arise in you through the course of your day. Reflect on what helped you with your intentions, and what hindered you, what you focused your attention on and how it affected you. How you exercised your freedom and how you helped or hindered the freedom of others. True liberty can only can be achieved through reflection and reflective choice of action.
4. Inspiration
It was not because it was proposed to establish a new nation, but because it was proposed to establish a nation based on new principles, that July 4, 1776, has come to be regarded as one of the greatest days in history. It was not a completely novel idea. Thomas Jefferson admitted that the ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence had been commonly expressed throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Americans continually strive for freedom, liberty and equality. Those words inspire the hope of endless possibilities for all Americans. The Declaration of Independence, as a vision statement for the country, also provides a model of how inspiration received from many sources can generate ideals and action. It also continues to be a source of inspiration.
As a leader, you need to be inspired and you need to inspire others to strive for freedom, both individually, and collectively.
5. Action
Wanting to be free more than anything else is not only a feeling; it’s an action. It is a conscious position you take in relationship to every choice you make in life. There's freedom in action only when you choose to act. You have no freedom when you allow things to take your freedom away. It’s not so much what you talk about but what you do that matches what you talk about.
When I coach people undergoing transitions, or designing their future development, I encourage them to reflect, be intentional and imaginative. But above all I encourage them to take specific action that focusses on possibilities and doable solutions.
As a leader you have to have enough trust in yourself to act on your convictions about freedom and to ask others to do the same.
Remember. . .
Liberty is precious. The concrete actions you take everyday to preserve it make a difference. Take time everyday to clarify your intention, decide to give attention, use reflection as a way to know where you are and what you need to do, look for inspiration, and plan for concrete action that encourages and ensures freedom in your personal and work life.
A couple of questions for you: What will it take for you to lead a free life? As a leader, how can you encourage freedom of choice and freedom to be responsible? We will love to hear your answers!
Photo by: angelocesare