“No man is free who cannot command himself.” Pythagoras
We can be restrained by circumstances, beliefs, or people. Thing is we may not know we are restrained until we slow down and think about why we do what we do. Unless we are in life or death danger it is rare that we need to act immediately. Thing is few people make it a habit to stop and think things all the way through before acting. When one is asked about motives it is common to hear because I could. Many mean because I had the freedom to choose and that was my choice.
To have a choice there must be at least two options present and feasible. We must be able to choose one or the other based on preferences instead of out of habit or compulsion. If one cannot decline one option, then true freedom is not present. Many times, we are not free due to circumstances; but, it is important to think about whether the circumstances are self-imposed. An aside, when I say circumstances I am not speaking about any event where you are harmed by another’s actions.
Being able to keep a strong awareness of who we want to be as people and what values are the most important to us leads to freedom. It is our life, right? So, let’s live it in a way we can be proud of ourselves. Look at motivations and how much self-awareness and self-propulsion one must determine the level in which they are free.
JOURNAL PROMPTS
1. Are you able to use your character to help you command yourself even if times are difficult?
2. Give some examples of how you can do this.
GUIDANCE
If you are not able to use your character to live the life you desire take a moment and ask yourself what has stood in your way. Journal about patterns of behavior that block you from experiencing joy, serenity, and/or not suffering unnecessarily. End by setting one task you can complete tomorrow to help you move in the right direction.