Why do we search for freedom in the wrong place?

 

One of the fundamental needs in human life is freedom, which we continually strive for. However, we often mistakenly seek it in the wrong places, leading to a persistent feeling of insufficiency.

Five years ago, I moved to London to search for a free life. The idea of free self-expression and fully embracing myself was in my mind. And although I have all these at my disposal, during the years spent here, I realised that the external pursuit of freedom is just an illusion. Waiting for freedom from the outside will always be a flawed assumption, because without inner work, my problems won't cease, and they will even accompany me to the next place. No other country, person, or idea can provide my own freedom. Because freedom can only be understood internally.

We were all born free in spirit, but upbringing and societal norms take over the predominant role in our lives, making us increasingly disconnect from our own souls. Inner freedom is accessible to all of us, and it is reached through our souls.

True freedom doesn't mean doing whatever we want, thereby limiting the freedom of others. True freedom is being aware of the limitations of this world, while those limitations do not affect our inner peace.

The prerequisite for this freedom is the self-awareness where we know who we are, where we are heading on our path, trust in the unfolding of our destiny, and believe in our own abilities. We don't blame others or external factors for the outcome of our lives; instead, we recognise that the key to control has always been in our hands.

If we accept the fact that every event in the Universe is fundamentally neutral, and it is our response that makes it positive or negative, then we can realise the weight of our own decisions, and the fact that we are continually shaping our own lives. It is a level of inner work where we can take full responsibility for who we are, how we act, and in this way, external judgments and limitations do not affect us.

Why is it so difficult to embark on this path? Perhaps because the whole world dictates the opposite, creates external blame and enemies, and does not promote inner work. 

That is why on an individual level our most important task is, to reclaim the control over our own lives and reconnect with our own soul, where we can truly experience the freedom, we seek.