If someone tried to take control of your body and make you a slave, you would fight for freedom. Yet how easily you hand over your mind to anyone who insults you. When you dwell on their words and let them dominate your thoughts, you make them your master. - Epictetus
1. Question Everything
The more we know the more free we become. Maybe people are taking advantage of your good nature. Maybe you're getting paid less than you deserve. Maybe your getting fed lies, so you're easier to control. Question everything.
2. Take More Responsibility
Reverse the Spiderman quote and it's still true - With great responsibility comes great power. The more things you are responsible for, the more power you have over them and with that power comes freedom. Shop assistants are responsible for replenishing the store as a result they have the freedom to go to the warehouse at the back, customers don't. As you increase your responsibilities you gain more freedom.
3. Voluntary Discomfort
I wrote a blog post specifically about this (Voluntary Discomfort). To put simple you allow yourself to suffer a little, so you loosen the grip fear has on you and in turn gain more freedom.
4. Live As A Minimalist
You don't need much to get by. Imagine the minimum, live like that for a while. Soon everything else you have becomes a bonus with so much extra to do/spend/eat ect. you become more free.
5. Take Care Of Yourself
Who's more free the fit and healthy 20 year old or the bed ridden 80 year old? The 20 year old, obviously. They have the freedom to do anything. The 80 year old doesn't even have the freedom to leave his house without assistance. If you don't want to lose freedoms, keep yourself healthy.
6. Don't Complain/Gossip
Think of a few complainers you know. How free are they? They can't think freely as a new problem they can complain about is always filling their heads. The only enjoyment they get is complaining, saying what they'd do differently, then doing nothing. It's a very limited life, if you want to break free from those limits, don't complain.
7. Don't Say Things That Make You Weak
... Not even to yourself. instead of saying 'I can't....' say 'I don't' one put's limits on what you're capable of the other shows your strength to resist temptations. Take note of how you talk about yourself and reword them to make yourself stronger. Stronger minds have far more freedom than weak minds.
8. Breath
I'm been doing that since I was born. And as a result you have more freedom than a dead person. Really though what I mean by breath is take control of it. Deep breaths, in through your nose, hold, then slowly out again. This helps calm your mind. Freeing it from all the intrusive thoughts that cloud it during the day.
9. Journal
Write down your thoughts. Explore them. Notice if they're helping or harming you. This act frees your brain from intrusive thoughts and makes you more aware so you can fight off bad thoughts in the future.
10. Take Notice
Pause and notice how you feel. What you've been thinking about. What you've been doing. The more you notice the easier it will be to spot patterns. If eating pizza always makes you feel bloated and sad, stop eating it. If your thoughts have led you to feeling crap, reword them or tune your focus towards something else. Having a project to work on is a great way to focus your mind on something positive. As you notice what's holding you back, you gain the knowlage to break free and regain your freedom.
11. Debt Is Slavery
If you owe someone, they control an aspect of your life. You can no longer buy the things you want until they have been paid back. If you owe someone, gain back your freedom by paying them back. If it's been a while add intreat.
12. Ask 'What's Making Me Do This?'
Maybe you're hungry. Maybe you're scared. Maybe you based your judgements on bad data. Whatever it is, if you know why you chose to do things you can learn to control that aspect of you. If you make bad decisions when hungry, carry water to stop you from feeling hungry. If you're scared learn more to help reduce your hears. And learn common mistakes when reading data to stop yourself from being fooled.
13. Be Your Own Boss
You gain the freedom to work how you want. To work the hours you want to. To market in your own unique way. Make your own business and work your way towards more freedom.
14. Be Happy To Leave With Nothing
When negotiating always be happy to leave with nothing, that way you're in control.
15. Save
The more money you have saved the more freedom you have. Are you free to leave your job and find something new or are you in such a situation that leaving would result in you loosing anything? How free are you? Save, so you can buy back your freedom.
16. Hell Yes Or No
If you're not saying to yourself 'Hell yes' when asked to do something, say 'no' lives too short to be doing things you don't want to do. Take control by saying no.
17. Let go of the past/future
Is anger or regret really in control? Or maybe it's worry. Live in the present. Cut the strings of the past and future that have been controlling you and gain back your strength.
How do you retain your freedom and what do you do in order to gain more?
Thanks for reading
Rocco
