I 2 Am Hueman

Everyone seemingly wants to be free, but what does freedom actually mean?  Does freedom mean that we are able to do whatever we want whenever we want?  Does freedom mean that we have the power to maximize our true potential?  Does freedom mean that we are capable of creating change for more than simply ourselves? I’ve always wanted freedom, but free is scary.  Free means that you have not only developed your path, but you also have the personal wherewithal to follow it.  Freedom means that you have assessed the reward/risk factor, and you have determined that it’s worth it.  I’ve never really trusted myself that much.  Never.  The safe road was always my go to.  It’s easy to fill out a job application.  It’s easy to do the same thing every day even if it’s painful to do it.  It’s easy to wait on a paycheck once, twice, or four times a month.  That’s easy.  However, if it’s so easy, why does it feel so bad?  I have a theory for that.  I think that we were all born to accomplish something very specific.  I think that we are naturally inclined to be successful, and in doing so, we will find intrinsic joy. However, accepting the call is challenging because it may require us to go “against the grain” of the norm.  My son recently taught me about the Parable of the Troglodytes.  Based on his explanation, this society determined that they would all be free.  To them, freedom meant being able to do whatever they wanted as long as no harm would come to any member of the society.  As time passed, out of fear that they may revert to a “survival of the fittest” way of living, they asked the most morally sound individual in their community to lead them.  Apprehensively, he accepted the challenge, but he informed them that he feared that they had already become what they tried to avoid.  The problem is free means different things to different people.  For me, the burdens of freedom have always been more cumbersome than the rewards of freedom.  When one decides that they are indeed going to pursue freedom, consequently, they have also decided that they are willing to accept the challenges that come along with the pursuit of freedom.  When one steps away from the norm into the unfamiliar, they have exposed themselves to the “multitudes” of pursuit.  Initially, I believe that these multitudes come in the form of challenges.  These challenges may range from doors closing to bills mounting.  They could also include friends leaving and family members ceasing to believe.  For the average person, the aforementioned challenges may be enough to cause them to quit.  Then there are the abnormal people.  Abnormal people are willing to endure because their faith is stronger than their fear.  Abnormal people persist because they would rather fail at trying than succeed at merely existing.  Abnormal people not only believe, but they expect to succeed.  Recently, I have begun to believe that if one imposes their will on a goal, that goal is easily accomplished.  I am abnormal.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once stated, “if a man has not found something for which he is willing to die, then what is he living for?”  I have lived most of my life running both from, and toward, my fears at the exact same time.  I was the eagle trapped in the chicken coop of my mind. Eagles never bond with chickens because chickens don’t fly, nor do they see beyond the scope of the small cages they are housed in.  Maybe chickens don’t fly because they are unwilling to push their wings past their comfort level.  If you are an eagle amongst chickens, you must change your company.  If you are a chicken that dreams of flight, either push harder, or ensure that the eggs you lay will bring you enough wealth to purchase a flight.  Either way, you will take to the sky.  Whatever you believe you are, you are.  If you’re tired of monotony, stop doing the same things.  If you hate your job, turn your hatred into passion for the acquisition of your goals.  If you believe that you can do it better, do it better.  If you don’t, you will find yourself asking yourself the cruelest question of all time; what if…….  Until next time, continue to be the best version of yourself.  Gee