Are you counting the days until your next vacation?
Freedom.
Its what we all want in life. Isn’t it? But what does it actually mean to be free?
When I went home for the holidays this year I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. You know what I’m talking about… arriving in that place where you feel less responsibility, less stress, less pressure to work hard, fit in and please others. That place where you can wears sweats, not shave your legs, and be yourself.
Mulled wine… ahh the taste of the holidays
For me, going home is like this: very few decisions need to be made and there is no schedule to follow. I wake up to the smell of bacon, enjoy a cup of coffee and a stack of homemade pancakes, while still wearing my PJs. The hardest decision is whether to go skiing or go to the hot springs, and whose turn it is to wash the dishes.
Maybe your version of freedom is a vacation at an all-inclusive resort where your biggest daily decisions are which pool to read by, which buffet to eat at and what kind of clinky drink to order at happy hour. You may feel free lying on a beach, hiking in the mountains or spending time at your favourite spa. But think about this:
If your ‘real life’ is always waiting for you after you finish relaxing, are you really #free?
Any of these scenarios are pretty darn nice, but after a week or two, if you’re like me, you start feeling restless. You can only avoid responsibility for so long. Living a simple life is desirable, but not entirely fulfilling. This is especially true when we know our to-do list keeps growing the longer we stay away. These temporary escapes from real life only whet our appetite for freedom, they don’t quench it. They’re more like a snapshot of what we wish our life was really like.
Jim Rohn says, and I agree: I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.
My pup and I enjoying Wickanninish Beach in Tofino, BC
My desire is to create a life I don’t feel the need to ‘escape from.’ It’s not just about having a sweet vacation for two weeks. Its about how I live my life every day.
Yes, I’ll still make my treks home and relish in the lack of responsibility.
Yes, I’ll still plan trips to exotic places and enjoy lying on the beach.
However, my quest is to create freedom not in small, isolated moments. It’s in how I live my day to day life.
For me, daily freedom involves being free of restrictions and being free to express myself.
When my time is my own, my health is rockin’, cash is flowin’, and choices are easy because I am aligned with my purpose…
THAT is the freedom sweet spot!
What does freedom look like to you?