Is Freedom Free?

Free Freedom!

Posted by Emmanuel Francis

It is interesting to note that most of society is free. There 

is a percentage of the populous that is incarcerated for 

crimes against society. So too, are there people who 

live in political cultures that do not value the freedom 

of its' people. 

 

Nevertheless, the majority of the people in the world live

in relative freedom. They can choose whom they marry, 

what they do for a living, and where they live. Most 

societies allow their people to move around freely 

without restraint. As long as an individual is obeying 

the laws, that person has wide latitude in conduct.

The freedoms offered by governments are physical 

freedoms that all its' law abiding members enjoy. 

However, many operate in a "prison like" atmosphere 

regardless of what they are given. This prison does 

not exist on the material plane. Rather, it is a creation

of the mind. It is manufactured from an individual's 

belief system. These beliefs become people's jailers.

Most will tell you that they can think for themselves. 

To suggest that they are incapable of creating their 

own ideas is met with an overwhelming attitude to 

the contrary. All their success, experiences, and 

intelligence give a sense of independence. They 

mistakenly believe that their belief systems is of their 

own making. Unfortunately for them, it is not.

A fundamental concept to creating the life that you 

desire is to create a belief system that works for you.

Contrary to what most think, our beliefs systems are

shaped by the influences around us. Teachers, parents,

friends, co-workers, and institutions all have input into 

the beliefs that we live by. Have you ever noticed how 

children's ideas often reflect those of their parents? 

This is so common that political organizations poll school 

children during Presidential elections because they 

accurately reflect the sentiment of the adults.

The governments of the world are masters at shaping

the belief system of its' people. Through the use of 

propaganda, public opinion is swayed based upon 

the desires of those in power. 

This is often done in the name of nationalism. A group 

of people is established as a threat to the society. 

Events are shown to validate this viewpoint while creating

the emotional dislike towards that group. Thus, the 

government is free to act as it see fit with the full support 

of its people. Unfortunately, most people do not have 

firsthand experience to form a solid conclusion. Of course, 

they will defend their belief even though that are not certain

where it came from.

It is common for people and organizations to manipulate 

other's beliefs for the sake of control. The government is

one example. Some religions throughout history has 

acted in a similar manner. They used threat of an angry 

Deity and eternal damnation to control the masses. There 

were numerous instances where the Church of England

was the most powerful organization in Europe. With a 

following that is under control, it is much easier to maintain

influence. Naturally, there are many denominations where

this is not the case. So, too, are their many people who's 

lives are enhanced by their religious affiliation. 

Unfortunately, this is not true in all instances.

The key to a belief systems is creating one that works for

you. As an adult, you have the freedom to believe anything

that you desire. Spending time questioning where some

of your beliefs came from is healthy. It is also effective 

to determine whether they still work for you. If they assist 

you into being happy, joyous, and free, then they are 

worthwhile. However, when they instill pain, perhaps it is 

time to rethink them.

Ironically, the beliefs that seem to cause the most chaos

in people's lives come from those who love us the most. 

Many individuals suffer from psychological disorders due

to the influences of their parents. Things such as low self

esteem, abandonment, and sexual issues all come from

our upbringing.

Typically, one who suffer from any of these, was made to 

feel guilty and shameful. Their worth was shown to be 

tied to their performance which never was good enough.

Mistakes were not forgiven but something to be used as

a weapon to make the other feel worse. All this was done

as a form of control.

Leap forward 20 years and you find that a person who 

grew up in this atmosphere often still carries these beliefs.

Even though recent experiences will prove to the contrary, 

the individual still hears the words of the parent. It affects

the relationships with friends, lovers, coworkers, and 

oneself. 

Without some help, the person is often incapable of 

healthy interaction with others. There is a degree of 

sickness in all that is done. Thus, the individual turns

to other things to fill that void that exists whether it is 

drugs, alcohol, sex, or food. 

However, if the belief system was viewed as insane,

the person might be apt to change it. Simply altering a

few of the basic beliefs one holds regarding oneself

miraculously changes life.

The more that we can accept that it is likely that what 

we believe came from other, the better our chances are

of attaining freedom. There are many things that were 

taught to us by others growing up which serve us well. 

This is especially true if we were raised in a loving 

home. However, society being as selfish as it is, there 

is much that stands in our way of happiness. Analyzing

our belief system gets to the root of what motivates us.

A system that contains a great deal of fear will cause 

one to often act out of that fear. The opposite is also true. 

To create 'our' life, it begins with creating 'our' own 

belief system.

To Your Success

Hubert Koh

Founder and Chief Success Officer,

67GoldenRules.com