To Be Free

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will.

—Mahatma Gandhi

You don't know it, but what you aren't doing right now that you know you should be will make you feel more happy and free what what you're doing right now.

Think your little vice makes you happy? Free?

It's all mind games, people. It's all in your head.

You can use all the logic arguments you want to deny the prison your vice is trapping you in, butit won't work. The fact remains: Until you deny yourself that thing the body but the spirit doesn't, you will not be free.

Who are you? You are not your body, believe or not. You are your spirit. Your heart. And one thing you should regularly do is show your body whose boss. Experts say that fasting once a month is beneficial to your health, even though it doesn't seem all that fun at the time. Show your body that it isn't more powerful than you and your mind. It isn't your master.

The world—particularly America—is playing mind games with itself. Remember that little freedom of choice thing that's so important to all of us? Freedom of choice, people! I can do whatever I want! I will do everything people tell me I shouldn't do just because I can. I have that right.

This is basically the worst kind of reverse psychology known to man. We want to be free, so we do things that make us free. Only it turns out these things are chaining us to them.

There are two kinds of failures going on here: failure to act, and failure to listen.

Failure to act: One way that people consider themselves free is by sitting at home, no work, no school, no anything, and they let everyone else do the hard work because...well...they can. Some of us have had unfortunately health effects of this, particularly, obesity. You're not happier sitting at home in front of your TV that running at the gym. It may seem like it, when you haven't tried running at the gym, but it's not true. You might be really surprised by how great you feel when you stumble off the treadmill.

Failure to listen: This is the important one. This encompasses everything that we do that isn't beneficial, but we do it because it's fun or because our friends are doing it. It makes us 'free' to go partying all night. Never mind the fact that my body is going to force me to go back later because it needs another drink or another girl, or that I'm going to be half out of commission tomorrow because of a hangover and lack of sleep. I'm free.

See the problem?

Interestingly, in many years of observing this phenomenon, I've discovered that those who are obedient—to laws, to their parents, to their instincts—are the most free people in the world. Many think that rules are walls in our lives, but they're not. Rules exist for a reason: to give the maximum number of people the maximum happiness.

And kids: you're parents are smarter than you. No matter what you think.

It's incredible how many people get through most if not all of their lives, and never figure out this simple principle. Do what you're supposed to, and things will turn out all right. It should be a no brainer, but a lot of people miss the bus.

Interestingly, obedience, which many consider to be a chaining concept, is actually the most freeing one. Believe if or not, people can go their whole lives without ever going to a bar, or a club, or smoking, or trying an illegal substance, even drinking coffee(which can be addictive), and can be happy. Happier than those who have done all those things.

Don't be afraid to follow the rules. It doesn't make you a conformist—you can still think out of the box all you want, and I would encourage it. Interestingly, many of the things I listed above dim your ability to think freely.

Don't conform. But be obedient. Do it for yourself. Even if you don't get why the rule is even in place, follow it. It's satisfying.

It also makes the world a bit of a better place.

***

Okay, if you totally don't agree with this post, you haven't tried the things it's telling you to try. If your liberal lifestyle is what motivates you, that's fine. But you might want to look into a few of the things you do and figure out why, exactly, you do them. If it's just to satisfy your body, you're losing a battle. If it's to escape the ugliness of the world, you're losing a battle. You live in this world. Face it head-on. Make the best of it by acting.

If something is missing in your life, a little hole in your conscience that you may not even feel most of the time...well, this might be your patch.