Freedom is a choice

Given a coin, I'd like to look at freedom and responsibility as both sides of the coin. Also, knowing what we want from life is a pathway to freedom.

You know, looking at certain life decisions that I have made to advance to the next level of my life, it's evident that by default, I'm a minimalist. Don't worry, it'll get clearer.

We really can't exclude responsibility while talking about freedom. Infact, from my own perspective, responsibility is the drive, while freedom is the outcome. To enjoy absolute freedom, one must be responsible, know what they want and then work with what they need to achieve that which they want.

Growing up, I never really had a say in what goes on in my life. I went from my parents trampling on my modeling dream to my ex telling me how to speak, how to act, what to do and what not to do. Basically, I found myself living a cluttered life of people's opinions and ideologies which made me very unhappy and choked.

I felt trapped, I felt consumed but they'd always pacify me with, "we want what's best for you." Now, here's where I channeled my inner minimalist without even knowing; As time progressed, I could no longer fit into the box that they've fixed me in, I wanted to be free. It got to a point and I realised that I needed to take charge of my life, I needed to drop all the imposed ideologies I'm living on and live on my terms.

I started with Contentment. I realized that for me to truly be free, I needed to be content with my life and I needed to be genuinely happy. Since I wasn't, I identified what was stealing my happiness. I mean, it's understandable that my parents could have such a strong hold to stop my modelling dream because I was a teenager, I was naive and heavily dependent on them but now, I am an adult and in a better position to navigate my life.

But how am I an adult and still being controlled and forced to live life against my will? I compared my life as an adult and my life as a teenager then saw a similar pattern of dependency.

You know, there is a saying that if you want change, then you do things differently. I took the high road and I strived for financial freedom. I started by earning which gave me the opportunity of providing the basic necessities for myself. It wasn't easy but gradually, I started being in charge and living my life exactly how I wanted it which cost me my relationship.

Moving on, there are times that I also feel trapped in my new found world, times I seldom feel like I'm not doing enough. At these times, I take a moment to pause and reflect on where the pressure is coming from. It dawned on me that whenever I get unnecessarily pressurized and overwhelmed, it's because I'm now operating with what I want which are mostly out of my reach and not what I need. Thus, I formed a habit of not worrying over things that are out of my control.

To further pacify my mind and calm it down, I'd say quietly to myself, "whatever I do not need will not bother me and whatever will bother me, I don't need it."

Being an Economist, it is easier for me to know the difference plus navigate seamlessly between my needs and my wants. Oftentimes, we get pressurized and entangled in the web of financial constraints when we are focused on what we want and not what we need.

Remembering that human wants are insatiable and that what we need builds contentment, I am able to elevate myself above the affairs of wants/greed by not being a slave to my desires.

All images are mine

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