What If This Practice Is All You Need To Have More Freedom?
“How have you managed such freedom?”
This question knocked me off my chair. Freedom? Me? In all my effort over the years to control and prepare and plan and organize, had I finally found a way to be free?
A quick Google search will tell you that there are many definitions of the word freedom. But if it is so broad and open to interpretation, why do we all seem to be craving it so badly?
It is generally the first thing people respond with when asked:
“What do you want?”
Is “freedom” the default answer because you haven’t given it much thought or allowed yourself to go deeper to find a truer answer? Or is it something you're truly seeking for yourself, something you truly desire? In which case, what do you want freedom from?
What do you want freedom for?
What I have learned, is that freedom is the absence of resistance. It is choosing your soul over your ego. It is integrating all parts of who you are and living in alignment so you can walk the path of least resistance.
But resistance is a tricky thing. It can be so subtle that you barely know it’s there, and yet it has the power to stop you dead in your tracks. It shows up when there is something new whether that’s learning a new skill, pursuing a new career path, or writing this blog post.
“Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.” - Steven Pressfield
Resistance is our ego at work. Its function is to keep us safe and as a result, leads our saboteur to rear its ugly head. Before we know it, our doubtful thoughts become our beliefs and we are finished before we even get started. For example, I can find my hyper-achiever saboteur hiding in the need to get it done and over-working, or I risk feeling invalid. There is a lack of flow, creativity, and open-mindedness when resistance shows up, when our ego is in charge.
By building awareness, we can step away from this repetitive pattern and step towards what we want, towards freedom. Resistance and awareness can’t coexist. By recognizing when your soul is alive, positivity flows and creates resilience against resistance.
In order to activate your soul, you have to bring your inner voice up and forward.
How do you enliven your soul?
Explore: Look at the other possibilities surrounding you. Believe me, there are many. With an open mind, ask yourself: What could this lead to? What would be fun to try? What is something that excites me?
Navigate: Instead of focusing on the top of the ladder, consider what is the best next step to get you on to the next rung. Keep it clean, clear, and simple. Allow yourself grace as you take the next step.
Activate: Sometimes taking action in the spirit of creating requires you to go in a different direction. Instead of pushing yourself towards more productivity, create space and movement. Get busy, move your body, try something new and see what shakes out.
By building resilience to resistance, you can start to take more impactful steps towards your goals, including freedom.
Freedom comes from equal parts responsibility: responsibility for yourself, your thoughts, and your actions.
It requires you to have a willingness to go after what you want and an openness to receiving what is meant for you. The practice of overcoming resistance has led me to have the freedom to choose, the freedom to create my life.
Kirsten Schmidtke is a professional coach, creator, and lover of lake life. She works with leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs to help them up-level their careers, businesses, and lives. Are you ready to explore what’s possible for you? Contact Kirsten to start the conversation!
