Independence – What does it mean Spiritually?
It has been a week of assertion affirming a stance that celebrates the freedom to stand in one’s own power and on one’s own terms.
Brexit is all over the news and has shown its opposing face in the hearts and minds of many of my British friends. Tomorrow we see all of the US celebrating with fireworks and hotdogs, friends and family, an event that played out centuries ago but still captures our hearts and minds. Terror on the world stage has tragically been perpetrated in the name of some warped perception of freedom. And of course as the microcosm mirrors the macrocosm, a few people I know have stepped bravely out of the confines of a relationship gone sour.
Naturally we think freedom when we take such brave steps – freedom overall to be ourselves. To step into the world with our own particular stamp of power and creativity. And YES spiritually this has consequences and responsibilities!
We all stand proud in the decisions with clear moral choices. But so many of our decisions come from the conditioning of our society and the deflections of our defended ego. So many choose a position because they don’t want to be left out in the cold vis-a- vis their friends and communities. Or because they are afraid to be alone. Many make choices by taking the easy way out leaving the fact-finding and research required to make important choices up to others. Deciding and voting on the sound bites of people with agendas that are not always obvious. Often we justify our choices because we are blinded to the subtle manipulations of our egos-blinded to the aspects of ourselves that choose to do things in order to be safe.
How many of us are brave enough to really examine the inner dimensions of our choices? How many of us are prepared to step out of our comfort zones and push to boundaries of discomfort in order to grow spiritually and morally and really stand in the creative power of freedom- not only for ourselves but for others too? Standing in the authenticity of our own independent freedom
takes courage. The courage to examine our inner motives, to face the places in ourselves where we play safe, to listen to our own inner voices even if we don’t have the support of those around us, and ultimately to walk a new line.
Spiritually this means a lot of self-examination, and moving beyond the limitations that serve the little self at the expense of the health, wealth and peace of the greater good.
If we are going to celebrate freedom, let it come from the places in ourselves that are truly free!