What is Freedom?

Hello Peeps!

A friend of mine sent me this flag picture a couple of years ago and it strikes me as a good place to start today’s blog. So here at TSJ headquarters, we wish you a wonderful Fourth of July (Independence Day) weekend here in the USA.

Solomon and I have been debating on what to share with you today.  We have bounced around some good ideas.  Well, I have done the bouncing around.  Solomon sits here calmly and patiently.  But it is a good day for pondering issues of freedom and independence.

As far as ancient, timeless, and true wisdom is concerned, Solomon says there really is only one message that matters.  However,  he agrees it can be dressed up any way I choose  (for WW) because as real live peeps (humans) we have been given the most powerful freedom of all, the freedom of choice.  How clever of him to bring that up. . . freedom of choice …as a special attribute of being human.  Solomon wisely recognizes humans have some special endowments that came from the unseen One.  Or what he calls the unseen Shepherd of all peeps. The One Source of  love and care for all of us. 

And that personal freedom (of choice)  is the unseen God expressed in us as individuals. So in one sense we can experience personal independence but in a greater, larger, more spiritual sense we truly are inter-dependent.  Even as a country it is clear we are inter-dependent with all peoples of the earth in many ways.  And the earth itself brings forth plenty to share with one another.

SJ, however, is also sitting here and he looks confused about freedom because it seems to him someone is always either telling him what to do or that he is wrong for the choice he made. He says freedom makes him full of anxiety (a word he hears from a whole lot of people).  If you ask him what it means, he will not be sure exactly . . . except that it makes him scared about failure or attack. And he will be the first to tell you that he  knows it means the exact opposite of his elder, Solomon, whom he both admires and resents for his calmness. He will grow into the knowledge, according to Solomon, that anxiety is diminished every time he chooses to be still and listen to wisdom’s voice.  It will not tell him what to do but it will point him in a direction of letting go of worry and fears.  

Anxiety longs for space of calm.  Constant agitation and fear of failure blocks the radiance of a calm spirit that comes from listening to the inner quiet and peace-filled voice of love from God/Spirit/Source.

As a now retired Tom has  handed over his keys to the company, and is entering into a new chapter of life, we have been facing some SJ type questions ourselves.  But the primary question for today’s musing is “What is freedom really?”  He chose to retire (after much consideration) and admittedly it felt like a forced choice due to health matters. Yet, as we have accepted the higher wisdom inherent in this choice it does now  feel like freedom at the same time.  Freedom to play.  Freedom to grow spiritually.  Freedom to enjoy family, friends, and many loved ones in relaxed ways. Freedom to sit on our deck and drink in the songs of nature and feast on the beauty around us. Freedom to be with TSJ peeps and beyond.  In new ways, perhaps, but in very connected ways that sometimes only come when we stop and listen to the voice of universal Wisdom that breathes quiet messages of love, peace, hope, and calm even in difficult times.

So from our experience, it seems that Solomon is correct. As humans we do have freedom. Almost like we have received an invisible certificate of permission to make our own decisions on how to live in an ever changing world with both real and imagined threats to our sense of security.  The rules of society, government, and religion serve as inadequate but apparently necessary means to govern behavior in general, but the one thing it cannot govern is our individuality of divine expression.

So, what is freedom?  It is the one thing inherent in being human.  The freedom to choose how we live our lives – on the inside.

Playing in the pastures together on Tom’s first day of retirement!  Play with us, please.  We can keep each other company!

SJ loves learning and Solomon loves sharing.