Freedom or Fool’s Gold?

Like I have often read after consuming fortune cookies, the USA has entered interesting times.

The fortune cookie pearl of wisdom: “May you live in interesting times.”

Part joke-curse and part sage advice, this gem applies to the USA now. People live in interesting times. Fear appears to grip the United States with every news headline.

Ultimately, this fear-purge reminds hyper aware US citizens; worldly freedoms pale in comparison to the freedom from fear.

Land of the Free?

I feel grateful to experience worldly freedoms in the USA. I appreciate my physical world freedoms deeply here.

But I also know; the current news cycle reflects back to my fellow US citizens that worldly freedom does not equal true liberation. Worldly freedom is politics, governments, borders and less lax laws. REAL, TRUE freedom is conquering your fears, to avoid being enslaved by your fears.

The healthy-looking, fit man I saw grocery shopping the other day wearing a mustard gas mask style deal to avoid contracting the virus is so paralyzed by the fears of disease and death that he is not even close to being free. Living in that state of terror is not genuine freedom because fear ruins your life, restricts your movement and takes the flavor out of your human experience.

How can you live resisting deep, palpable fears and claim to be free?

How about people who have not left their home since March? Does a half-year of being home bound sound like genuine freedom to you? What good is your worldly freedom if you are free to say what you want to say but fear walking out of your front door? Does that sound like a fun, freeing, liberated life to you?

Fear Makes You Bound

The USA may boast great worldly freedoms but if a fair chunk of its citizens fear leaving their backyards, these individuals ain't free. Why? Your personal, intimate fears make you bound to the fears. Suffering follows.

Worldly freedoms are fool's gold. Shiny, flashy and sexy in patriotic ads, but utterly worthless unless you face, feel and conquer your intimately personal, powerful fears.

I am free to circle the globe now. But I had to face, feel and release fears concerning:

• giving up my cats
• selling the home
• moving on from my home base for the past 13 years

Did this journey feel comfortable over the past 2 months? Absolutely not. I spent a few nights crying myself to sleep. I edged out of my comfort zone routinely. Still doing it, as I write these words in an extended stay hotel with my 1 kitty underfoot, being a full time digital nomad.

Being free of most fears by:

• facing
• feeling
• releasing

your fears regularly is the only genuine form of liberation. True freedom is not in laws, political debates or governmental edicts.

The only real freedom is liberation from fear.

Everything else is fool's gold.

Face, feel and release your fears. Follow your dreams. Leave your comfort zone.

Genuine freedom awaits you.