What is freedom for you?

For me, it means joy and happiness. However, freedom may mean something different to you and others. Regardless of our different answers, they all merge in the same way. Freedom is more profound than we may think. It's not about where we are, how much we love our job, how freely we can express ourselves, or how much money we have.

It took me a while to understand that freedom was not something to be found externally; it was internal. I had a lot of material possessions and thought I had everything I wanted. But I was always seeking more and more, thinking I would be happier if I had them.

One day, I asked myself, "Are you content with what you have and where you are?" I answered, "No." Then I asked, "What do you want?" I replied, "I want freedom."

I pondered this conversation with myself for a while. What was freedom for me? Would I feel free if I had achieved that thing? I realized that something more profound was going on inside me.

So, I had many conversations with myself to observe, understand, and listen. Whenever I talked to myself, I learned something new about myself. I was open and didn't judge myself. I just listened and observed.

While these conversations happened, I found that everything I had lost meaning. My car, my place, my relationships, things I thought I loved, things I wanted to achieve, things I thought would make me happy... The biggest thing that was hard to lose was my identity. I came to a point where I couldn't hold on to the identity I had built for years anymore. After that happened, everything changed. I said goodbye to everything that made me who I am.

                                            

Ultimately, I was free from everything I thought was making me happy. But they were just attachments I held onto for a while. I found freedom by turning inward and finding my internal joy and happiness. I built a strong foundation internally, so nothing outside would change that.