Ask anyone what they want out of life and a great number of them will reply with something along the lines of, “I just want to be free.” They will say this like it is the most difficult thing to achieve. In reality, it’s rather simple to achieve such a thing. The difficult part of finding freedom comes in getting the ego to step aside so that what needs to be done can be done to achieve that freedom. But, here’s the catch. The only true freedom you can ever achieve in life is mental, it’s freedom of the mind. Your physical self, in one way or another, will always be attached, encumbered in some way, opposed by some other force, your entire life.
Yes, you could go live in the middle of nowhere and be what most would call free. Think of those who find refuge in the lonely wilderness of Alaska, living off grid, hunting and foraging for their food and water, bartering with others to get the things they need to survive. Yes, that is an 18th or 19th century idea of freedom, but not really. Those living off grid are still subject to laws and rules and regulations, just like you and I. Everyone around the world is subjected to similar or slight variations.
However, those that take on the Alaskan frontier do experience a freedom that the average person will probably never understand. Out there, they are free. They are free from social norms. They are free from the mental gridlock caused by day to day life in the civilized world and the bickering and fighting over petty, trivial things. Why? Because the only thing of importance that occupies their minds is survival. The solitude and beauty of the forest is their home and everything they do is meant to protect and provide for it.
So, freedom exists, but it comes with a price and not the one we’ve been told is the costs of freedom. Mental clarity is the freedom most people are seeking and it is available, it all depends on what you are willing to sacrifice to achieve it. The great news is that you don’t have to live off grid to experience it. Meditation, counseling, alternative therapies are just some of the ways to reach that point of freedom. There are more ways, but that is a choice for each person to make on their individual journey. Put in the work, though, and it is all worth it.
