The Pursuit of Freedom
I'm sure you've heard me talk about mind-body-soul connections maybe like 600 times. I'm here to talk about it 601 times. I cannot stress to you enough how interconnected this natural world is with our physical and mental well-being. I don't know if you know this about me but I am my own biggest science experiment. Rarely do I ever make life-coaching recommendations that I haven't at least attempted to implement and track the progress of within my own life. I am not going to beat you to death with the "JOURNAL EVERY DAY" bat but please believe me when I say that this discipline has single-handedly changed my life in more ways than one.
This past weekend I was blessed enough to experience nature as I've never experienced it before. I was gifted the opportunity to experience myself as I've never known her before. I was only an hour away from home, which is kinda cool considering people book flights to see what I saw and feel what I felt. A short drive over the pond allowed me to metaphorically enter a new reality. We slept in the dopest camper and hiked the most sickest natural trail up a mountain that overlooked the Appalachian Trail. We ate in storybook cafes and met storybook characters. There was no rhyme or reason, nothing was planned, we barely even packed. We didn't know how our evenings were going to look and we didn't know what time we were going to wake up in the morning. We just flowed with the vibe like a fish in water- open to wherever the current took us. This past weekend, I had no history, I had no name, and I had no future.
That will be the topic of this week's blog: freedom. What it means, what it feels like, and why you should never ever stop seeking it out. How I define freedom is freedom from the mind. Freedom of the mind- without any preconceived notions, obligations, fears, stigmas, or reservations. No plans, no schedule, no agenda. Kind of ironic, I know, considering that I have dedicated my entire life to the study of the mind and the discipline of thoughts. It is precisely for this reason that I can confidently say, this is what you are seeking. I promise you- the feeling of no identity is what everyone is searching for.
Throughout my academic and personal life studies, I've come to find that the most powerful and authentic thing you can do is allow the spirit to take over. To be completely engulfed in the magic that is freedom of mind without trying to control the external circumstances. It is in this release of control that you actually begin to experience weightlessness. As if you were floating through reality, experiencing all the beauty this world has to offer without attaching any meaning to it. I learned a very important lesson this weekend: not everything is about you. Truly. I'm so glad I did, though, because it released this ENORMOUS boulder off my shoulders called "the weight of the world". It's not mine to carry. It never was and it never will be again.
I bought these new hiking boots and I was so excited to wear them this weekend but they cut my ankles up in all the worst places. The trail was legally closed off because too many people died attempting to climb to the top. We went anyway. That was liberating in its own right, let me tell ya. But once we got to almost-the-top we paused, looked out over the horizon, and breathed it all in. Silence. Nothing but the rushing of the river. I wish I could screenshot the feeling. Pictures don't do it justice. It is in that moment that you truly realize how small and insignificant you are in comparison to the glories of the natural world. I have never been so humbled. I had never felt so untethered. It was so freeing.
If I sat here long enough, I could totally write you an entire novel about this experience. I'd write hymns that would make the apostles jealous. I won't do that though because I'd rather you experience it for yourself. If I could leave you with this one piece of information, it is to never, ever, under any circumstance, underestimate the healing properties of the natural universe. Usually, we are looking for a way out of our problems. I have come to find that your problems are not actually you. Remember who you are. Come back to center. Recalibrate. Find yourself in everything but yourself. Your soul will thank you.
