How Do You Define Personal Freedom?

If any of you recall, in June, hubby, friends and I went to the Turks and Caicos for a fabulous vacation, and on our last day there I learned how to snorkel.  I was immensely terrified of doing it, but had so much nervous excitement, I took the plunge and loved it.  As I said in that post, snorkeling opened up a new world to me because it gave me a new sense of freedom.

After learning of this ‘new sense of freedom,’ two of my friends became inspired by this.  So now among our friends, we look for Freedom Opportunities.   Because of this, my brilliant friend Brittany decided that Freedom Opportunity needed to be defined.  So she, lovely friend Lizzy and I had a long discussion about what the definition of a Freedom Opportunity should be; I will admit that most of the discussing occurred between them.  I really only came in and added maybe 1 cent worth of opinion.  We knew we did not want the definition to have a negative vibe or be too vague and superficial.  So among the three of us, we settled on what we all feel and believe is a great definition that gives true attention to developing oneself and has some real depth to it.  *The definition will be at the end of this post.* 

There are many and various opportunities to experience a Freedom Opportunity. Here are some things my friends have done recently. 

Earlier this summer Brittany and Lizzy went to visit a friend in Chicago and while there they all attended Chicago’s Gay Pride parade.  Brittany said the feeling in the atmosphere was that of love and acceptance and that her heart overflowed with happiness for her fellow human beings.  During Gay Pride Brittany posted an assortment of pictures and opinions on Facebook supporting the LGBT community all the while knowing there would be much backlash from friends and family members with more traditional family values.  This potential backlash did not cause her to shy away from firmly stating her beliefs.  Brittany’s Freedom Opportunity came in the form attending a parade where she could show her unbiased love and full acceptance for all people and their respective lifestyles, her continued support of the LGBT community and ultimately, her proudly and resolutely standing up for her beliefs at the risk of angering others. 

The day that we defined Freedom Opportunity was the day Lizzy decided pursue some personal growth in the form of learning another language.  She recognized that there may be times and situations in her life now, and most likely in the future as well, where knowing another language could be of immense help in dealing with some people in various situations.  Being limited to one language is just being limited.  Knowing another language opens up the door to understand different cultures and values, and could make a person feel empowered and confident.

Marvelous friend Megan and her husband learned how to mechanic their hybrid car a little bit.  The main battery in the car died, and they thought of taking it to an actual mechanic, but with mechanic and parts prices these days, well that estimate was certainly unreasonable.  So Megan and her husband decided to learn how to fix the problem themselves – so bring on Google for a search in how to recharge the hybrid car batteries.  After finding a particularly helpful instruction book, they set about recharging the battery.  Megan explained the process to me, but as my memory for how mechanical technicalities work is not so good, I am not going to attempt to explain it here.  But the point is they did not let this difficulty stump them, and they overcame a challenge.  Learning more about your car, its various parts and how to make it run properly is a remarkably helpful skill set to have, and now Megan and her husband have had a Freedom Opportunity. 

I am going to have an astonishing Freedom Opportunity tomorrow (Sept 7^th), but I do not want to write about it here or even barely mention what I will be doing.  Suffice it to say, it will be so magnificent that it will deserve its own post!

Something to keep in mind about a Freedom Opportunity  –  Do not be a false opportunist.  Brittany was talking with a friend who thought a Freedom Opportunity could justify him smoking occasionally when not drinking.  No; thoughts similar to this and their subsequent actions are not the point of a Freedom Opportunity.  Freedom Opportunities are for you to being open to experiences and adventures which will make you a better you.  Freedom Opportunities are supposed to be good for the soul, make you a better, stronger, happier you. 

Don't just stand there - go chase your dreams, change careers or companies, move to a new city/state/country, start a business that you are passionate about, join or establish a club, try your hand at learning to play an instrument, stand up for your beliefs, take college courses that do not result in a degree, learn home and car repairs or anything else that will make you joyful, empowered and/or enlightened.  Do not not try things out of fear or idleness or difficulty, as we all have one ride on this merry-go-round of life.  Have fun, challenge yourself and be empowered and encouraged!

And now for the definition for a Freedom Opportunity as I am sure you are twitching in your seats for it -

 A freedom opportunity encourages one to conquer fears, overcome stagnancy, rise above challenges, pursue personal growth, and lets one delight in a whole new world.

Thank you Lizzy and Brittany for deciding that seeking Freedom Opportunities needed to be a trend/movement. Thank you Megan for believing this needed to be posted.

 

*Look for Freedom Opportunities*

 Pun for this post – Where do cars swim?

In a car pool!  J