What I Know for Sure Thursday: Freedom Really is Wonderful......

Today is the 4th of July, and it is the day that our country celebrates its freedom.....

Today, on 'What I Know for Sure Thursday,' I think that it is quite appropriate to write about what I know for sure about Freedom, because I know a WHOLE lot about Freedom. I value freedom about as much as I value life, and you know how much I LOVE life....

However, Freedom, just like change, must take place in the mind first; freedom is such a mental thing, and this I know for sure.

I am going to use two extreme examples to show that Freedom can be achieved in almost any situation: Nelson Mandela and Malcolm X

In an interview with Oprah, Nelson Mandela stated that:

Before I went to jail, I was active in politics as a member of South Africa's leading organization—and I was generally busy from 7 A.M. until midnight. I never had time to sit and think. As I worked, physical and mental fatigue set in and I was unable to operate to the maximum of my intellectual ability. But in a single cell in prison, I had time to think. I had a clear view of my past and present, and I found that my past left much to be desired, both in regard to my relations with other humans and in developing personal worth.
Read more:
 http://www.oprah.com/world/Oprah-Interviews-Nelson-Mandela/4#ixzz2Xzpdr1O6

Now, even someone who is 'locked up' can experience freedom, because someone can only control our minds if we let them.

Malcolm used the time behind bars to educate himself in the prison library where he learned the fundamentals of grammar and increased his vocabulary. Malcolm basically taught himself to read and and write while 'locked up.'

Now, isn't this some true Freedom! Freedom is in the mind, and nobody can control our minds unless we let them.

Freedom is being able to buy a new dress and not having to hide it in my car; Freedom is waking up and deciding to eat whatever is in the refrigerator even if I do not like it as long as it good for my body; Freedom is going for a bike ride; Freedom is knowing that people are viciously taking about me and not really caring; Freedom is choosing to be with people who allow me to just be me with all of my crazy ways that I am working on urgently; Freedom is choosing who I want to intimately love as my husband forever; Freedom is taking off from work just because I feel like it; Freedom is not allowing my current situation to make me feel un-free, because freedom is in the mind; Freedom is knowing that the situation that I am in is not right and having the Freedom to work to change that situation; Freedom is living in a country where as a woman, I can wear my favorite tank top and be all right..........

However, I know that there is a price to pay for Freedom, but it so worth it, if we handle our Freedom responsibly...

It took me awhile to fully understand this Freedom thing, but after living for over 40 years and actively practicing Freedom for about 20 years, I can say for sure that Freedom Really Is Wonderful!

Happy 'What I Know For Sure Thursday!'

And it's the the 4th of July!!

ENJOY