Live with more inner freedom to be yourself

Like thought or consciousness, freedomthat faculty that allows the person to choose their own line of conduct and how they want to live their life, is inherent to the human being. In his name, linked to feelings of justice and equalitythe bloodiest battles have been fought and the most beautiful poems have been written.

Only through its exercise is it possible become fully happy and get the long-awaited personal self-actualization.

as you remember Alex Rovira in his book the inner compass, when a child is born it is totally free, has no roof but the sky; but soon learns, through family, educational and social mandates, to set a height limit.

It can be two meters, two hundred, two kilometers, two hundred thousand… or two feet from the ground; possibly leading you to drag yourself through life, to survive more than liveto have to earn a living, perhaps because he believes that he has lost it beforehand.

What limits our individual freedom?

The conditions that they prevent us from exercising our free will and develop our potential present very diverse nuances. They can be from limiting beliefsinculcated within the family and the school environment, and global economic problems, until extreme cases of deprivation of liberty.

Some examples are the immigrants coming to the West in boats after a tortuous journey in which it is easy to lose your life and are returned to their country; the anonymous prisoners from Guantanamo and other enclaves; the women who are stoned in some countries for adultery; people who suffer the consequences of wars and dictatorships…

In any case, something that should not be lost sight of and that forms part of the privileges of the human being is that, although it is not always feasible to choose what happens to us, we can choose our response to what happens to us.

Even in the most adverse conditions we can choose to bring out of us what is most human, what is most loving, understanding or generosity, and put hatred and anger aside.

The birth of logotherapy

Victor FranklAustrian psychiatrist of Jewish origin who lived the horror of the concentration camps and the loss of his wife and parents in the gas chambers, he collected in his famous book Man’s Search for Meaning reflections that went in this direction.

Frankl, naked and alone in a punishment room, began to become aware of what he called “ultimate freedom”a redoubt of his freedom that they could never take away despite the dehumanization and suffering that surrounded him.

He understood that he was a conscious being, capable of observing his own life, capable of decide in what way what he was experiencing could affect him. Between what was happening and what he did, between his stimuli and his response, his inner freedom mediated, its power to change that answer.

Thanks to that mental attitude, Frankl found strength to remain true to himself, finding a reason to live, in contact with the spirit. Later, when he managed to get out of the Nazi nightmare alive, he created the logotherapy, the third Viennese psychological school after Freud’s psychoanalysis and Adler’s psychology. His approach was based precisely on the search for the meaning of life based on personal will.

Frankl maintained that every man is capable of making his own decisions, that he is free to choose your own destiny and not become a puppet at the mercy of circumstances or their own unconscious reactions.

A constructive vision of life

But taking charge of your own life is not easy when you are immersed in a spiral in which routines, obligations and commitments They can exert tight control over the individual.

Many people in the West spend their time doing tasks that do not contribute much beyond financial compensation. And that money goes to a large extent to face the colossal expenses of a life system that induces to acquire goods that momentarily cover up frustration of an empty existence, but which does not allow us to address the underlying problem, a problem of Loss of identity.

In modern and technological society it is easy for a person to end up not having time for yourself and to enjoy with his loved ones, seeing his critical and constructive vision of the world annulled. Somehow, the individual he is losing sight of who he is really and what is its vital mission.

Choose the life you want or make a profound change from an unsatisfactory situation implies the responsibility of assume the decision and open up to the unknown. It is a way that scary and that it can take the person back to the initial fear that they experienced when separating from the protection and security that their parents offered them, as the German psychologist and humanist affirmed. Erich Fromm in his work the fear to the freedom.

The importance of understanding yourself better

Takeself awarenessimpartially analyzing what one is, without removing or adding anything, highlighting the qualities and the shortcomings, the achievements and the failures, reflecting on the personal moment that one is going through, seeing what emotions surface, what would be changed and what would not, can usher in the transformation or personal feedback.

Krishnamurti says: “This understanding of oneself not a resulta culmination, but consists of seeing yourself from moment to moment in the mirror of coexistence, in seeing our relationship with goods, things, people and ideas”.

When a person decides to get to know themselves better, they may have to rewrite the script of their life by observing to what extent what you do and think is the result of your own harvest or obey what others planted for her. You will have to weigh the extent to which many of your current limitations may be related to the view of the world he received from his parents and caregivers.

The way we perceive ourselves is shaped to a large extent in childhood based on that reflected image returned to us by the people around us.

By assuming responsibility for our lives we will seek our inner truth, because we have chosen to recognize and manifest our own power. The mere fact of being aware of those aspects now allows you to gain freedom inside.

Suddenly, all that parasitic programming leaves room for more genuine potential and often overshadowed. The person erases out-of-date labels or mandates from his hard drive and tries to rewrite an idea about himself that allows him to discover its brilliance and move forward without hindrance.

By directing the attention to ourselvesmodifying our lifestyle if necessary and observing how we act, with the intention of providing the best feelings that we are capable of (empathy, kindness, kindness, respect, affection… ), it is possible that we can achieve change our perception of things and exercise our inner freedom. And maybe we play at the same time, as if it were a domino effect, the conscience of others.

enjoy “being”

When a person explores himself and decides to chart his own path, he is overcome by an unknown peace and serenity or forgotten and a more optimistic and luminous vision of life, with fewer fears. You don’t feel so vulnerable, but more confident and cheerfulmore connected with the flow of life, more intuitive and also more creative, something that will make it possible for new projects and possibilities.

She may have similar problems to the ones she had before she decided to exercise her inner freedom, but she approaches them in a different way, so what happens to her constitutes for her an opportunity for growth. Connected with the most sensitive and spiritual part of herself, stop having an egocentric vision and he begins to give importance to things that he hardly considered before.

It may simplify your life, giving space to personal relationships and the enjoy the presentas if each day were the last, returning to recover the enthusiasm and the capacity for wonder that he had left parked long ago. Feelings of detachment, solidarity, unity, compassion and humility are likely to emerge, since you have nothing to prove to others and are open to experience and to discovery.

Annie Marquierwriter and transpersonal psychologist, explains that “when we take responsibility for our lives we stop letting ourselves be manipulated and manipulating others. We are going to look for the truth within ourselves because we have chosen to recognize; declare and manifest our own power. We learn not to be afraid of the power of others or our own. Freed from the traumas of authority produced during childhood, We respect the power of others and manifest our ownin respect for differences and authentic exchange”.

From the moment we know that we are creators and that we have the capacity to generate a more coherent and satisfying life, we are ready to act to build it now. play the winner in the game of life, instead of trying to lose others and yourself by anchoring yourself in the role of victim. When we come into contact with our own power we play to be, fully enjoying it.

6 ways to assert yourself

Reflect rather than react on impulse. In the face of bad news, injustice or critical moments, staying calm and responding from reflection rather than from impulse will make what we say and how we act have greater credibility and repercussion.To say no when we disagree and set our limits when we think we should, being respectful, without aggressiveness, but showing firmness in what we defend. Live more in line with what really makes us happier and creative than with what is socially considered correct but ends up alienating us. It is important to have more time for yourself and family, take care of relationships, avoiding the trap of competitiveness and egocentrism.Responsible consumption. Do without shopping for fashion imperatives or psychological escapism. Do not throw away items (food, clothing, electrical appliances…) at the first opportunity; if possible, repair or recycle them.Contact with the natureour source of life, becoming aware of the importance of its sustainability, undertaking actions on a personal scale: reducing energy expenditure, using public transport, consuming organically grown products…Rediscover yourself (if it can be every day, better) and introspect about how we are and how we feel. Listening to what our soul tells us offers us the opportunity to to own our own life, without letting ourselves be carried away by the rush and events. Practice meditation, yoga or tai chi daily or a few days a week it helps to stay in the present moment, to value oneself and appreciate life more, of which we are an active part.

5 permissions for inner freedom

Virginia Satira pioneer in Family Therapy, defined the process by which the person could achieve your inner freedom. One way to do this is to give yourself permission to:

be and be who I aminstead of believing that I should wait for someone else…