The Daily Challenge, Day One: Freedom

My first word of the month is 'freedom'. It's taken me a while to ponder over this one because the concept of freedom is so objective. It is completely dependent on where you live, how you live and your circumstances. Living in Britain, freedom is a word most of us can take for granted - only when it is compromised do we acknowledge it. 

For the majority of those living in the Western world, freedom isn't so much of a physical restraint. We have access to free education and healthcare, for example.

My observation is that many of the constraints we face, in terms of freedom, stem from the brain. A lack of money, for example, can be a barrier to how freely we live, and to some extent money is down to choice. We choose to spend money, we choose to work harder and get a promotion, we choose where our money goes.

Health is another barrier to the amount of freedom we enjoy - and many doctor's appointments are booked for stress-derived problems. Smoking, for example, is commonly used to de-stress, as is alcohol. Health is sometimes down to conscious decisions. 

Freedom is having a choice. And the scope of our choices are, to a large extent, decided by what we think we deserve. I feel as free as I allow myself to feel. If we desire more choice, more variety, more leeway in our life, then we can usually find a way to get it. Of all the aspects of our lives, freedom is one that is largely defined by mindset. I felt most free before I developed an anxiety disorder. 

Most of our successes, our happiness, progression and what we enjoy in the modern world are attributed to freedom. Yet, it's the darkness in life that hinders our freedom. Freedom is quashed by fear and we only fear what we have experienced. 

How's that for an equation?