 These ladies, strolling down a busy street in Acapulco, sure make their loads look easy to carry. One even keeps both of her hands free.
I giggled as I compared their poise to my recent, and graceless, wrestling with suitcases and stuff. It's easy to get bogged down, but buoyancy is possible! Which brings me to the important question about your freedom I'd like to ask you. But first, let's be clear and precise with our language: Freedom is defined as "the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint." And, for our purposes, those last 4 words do not include hurt or harm to another. So, my question to you is, how much of that power or right do you exercise in your life? How often -- in your relationships, in your work, in your daily decisions -- do you exercise your power and your right to act, to speak and to think as you want? If not very, very often, WHY??? Whether you are restrained by: * a tyrannical national government; * a tyrannical negative inner voice; or * more likely, both of the above! ... you can regain and enjoy more freedom. But there is some honest and daring work required. Here are three things I've been practicing: 1. Be quick to question. Any person, organization or system that tries to rule over you, should quickly be scrutinized... and likely, rejected. Would you ever consciously give your consent to another to rule over (e.g. master) you? Then don't do so, unconsciously. 2. Be slow to judge. Every person, without exception, knows something useful that you do not. Stop dismissing people based on shallow presumption and prejudice. Go deeper. Listen harder. Learn something amazing from an unlikely teacher. 3. Be intolerant of oppression. Anarchy -- or voluntaryism -- is a supremely ethical and philosophical ideal that CAN be lived into. When freedom is pursued, and traced to its utmost, you will find humans co-existing without compulsion and coercion. (Or, at the very least, working toward that end.) In a world that seems intent to domesticate, dominate, colonize and modify all life forms, anarchists steadily hold and develop strategies for personal sovereignty. Freedom is not an imaginary unicorn. It is an innate birthright, that is too often infringed upon by inner and outer bullies. I'm grateful to be at Anarchapulco, surrounded by so many bold, brave, lovers of peace and freedom. Comments are closed.
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The question "How are you?" is PROFOUND. But it has been watered-down to a synonym for "Hello." Forced or fake auto-responses of obligated okay-ness are expected. (And if you are going through something tragic, it really doesn't matter! Every social encounter OPENS with this well-established Ritual of Insincerity.) The question "How are you?" prompts an answer that begins with "I AM _____________." This means many times each day, you are invited to SPEAK THE MOST POWERFUL STATEMENT that can be spoken of yourself. And the socially-expected thing to do, is be QUICK + SLICK with your answer. For a change... TAKE YOUR TIME, and tell your truth. ✍🏾 |