The Foolproof Way To A Simple Life: Lessons On Cognitive Freedom, Our Full Potential And The Next Sunrise

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The Tamed Life:

We all live our lives a little like this. We’re tied down to situations, people and things that give us happiness or sorrow, and we hang out with bad company sometimes. And yet, we can’t seem to get out of our comfort zones.

The question is, when we’re wild in our hearts, why are we tame in our actions?

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Born To Be Free:

We face a lot of terrors on a daily basis, of course, I’m not talking about the fear of missing our flight because we are last minute packers.

Living to our full potential is true freedom. A life that’s true to your own values, ethics, and morals. And one with no fear of rejections and embarrassments. It is me getting an opportunity to use my strengths every single day. It is me not letting my own or others’ expectations drown me.

True freedom fosters growth. It is accepting chaos, allowing shit to pile up once in a while and delegating things we really can’t take up.

It gives us insight through pitfalls. Discipline seeks the truth. Discipline doesn’t shackle. Discipline is when the unnecessary fall off effortlessly.

When we’re free to express ourselves as openly, honestly and as creatively as we’re able to, that’s when we’re able to live truly freely.

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Freedom Of Identity:

We often create a persona and hide behind it. Such a thing holds us prisoners to our free self.

Stop comparting the inside of yours to the outside of others. Trying to fit in is distracting to our main goals in life and it’s just too tedious. Managing your identity and public perception about you takes a toll. Keep your identity small and authentic. You’re less effective when you’re trying to be someone else.

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Freedom In Thoughts:

Quiet down your thoughts. Don’t put a lot of things or thoughts into your eco system. An ideal life is more complex than a real life. Lower your standards to get started on your dreams.

Self judgement exists as a defense mechanism to save ourselves from jealousy and vulnerability. Be free from self judgement and feelings of inadequacy. Acknowledge your feelings, label them, and move on.

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Freedom In Truth:

“I must find a truth that is true for me,” Kierkegaard wrote. He is also remembered (as I mentioned earlier) for declaring that “subjectivity is truth” and “truth is subjectivity.” Kierkegaard’s insight was that even supposedly “objective” matters must always be interpreted by a subjective human mind, before being integrated into that particular subject’s uniquely complex worldview, web of understanding, schema of prioritization and organization.

The point is that every person’s web, every person’s worldview — even if two people were exposed to all of the same information for their
entire lives — will differ from everyone else’s. We each approximate our own truth from the data we
encounter. So, remember that what you are looking for is your truth, not the truth. Who needs the latter anyway? After all, your truth, your own understanding, is the only truth that can ever be of use
to you.

~ From A Review Of Kierkegaard’s work from The High Existence Magazine.

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Freedom In Relationships:

Often, we waste a lot of time wrangling in our heads what might have been the best retort to anyone who has insulted us. But, this is the most optimal approach. Simply let go of an opportunity to explain or defend yourself. Simply walk away, and choose to be the master of your own destiny. Cut any thoughts of overwhelm and indignation and move on.

After an embarrassing situation among peers or strangers, tell yourself, “Change this negative thought. The sun will rise tomorrow morning.”

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Freedom As Liberty, Independence, Immunity:

Developing a sense of freedom requires a vast amount of personal faith and courage, but once you do have faith and courage your understanding of all that surrounds you is amplified. Freedom can never be taken lightly, especially when you seek independence; not independence particularly from others but independence from your own limitations. Freedom is the ability to not be afraid to make positive decisions anytime a question arises. To become immune to negative circumstances you must rely on your ability to feel situations with a bold and determined spirit. If freedom is the outcome then you are actively seeking personal control of your present circumstances.

~ Psychology Of Learning And Learners by Dr. M. Kumar & Dr. S. Anandaraja

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Freedom Subtracts Stuff:

Stuff can be necessary but stuff can be overwhelming too. Clutter and possessions like thoughts can tie you down. Ask yourself, “Do I really need this? I haven’t touched it in 20 years!!”

Don’t acquire so much that your material wealth will begin to define you. Strip everything. Instead of bringing things into life, think of what you could be subtracting. Have less, so you can live more and have more bandwidth to focus on what truly matters in life.

If you still really want to gather, how about gather the stuff that’s priceless, like respect, friendship and love.

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Individual freedom is the highest form of morality. Your current freedom should not impact your future freedom. ~ Tim Leary.

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Freedom Foresees Future:

Give yourself permission to have great intentions about your future. Package your thoughts on what you wish to do for yourself and others you love.

Have a plan, but be flexible to play it by the ear. Bottom line, be free of judgment – of what you should be doing and where you should be at on the path. Keep moving without applying the brakes of self-doubt. Minimize the terror of using giant to do lists to be done later. Life’s too short to live as your own muse.

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Feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness, which seems to derive from two facts. Unlike an animal, man is not told by instincts what he must do. And unlike man in former times, he is no longer told by traditions what he should do. Often he does not even know what he basically wishes to do. Instead, he either wishes to do what other people do (conformism), or he does what other people wish him to do (totalitarianism).

~ Viktor Frankl In Man’s Search for Meaning

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Freedom In Action:

There are somethings that will come to us in life, uninvited – like disease, disappointment, heartache, old age, death, natural disasters etc. These are things we have no control over mostly, then why get bound by sorrow in anticipation of the inevitable?

Chasing something fleeting, like happiness. You climb up the Everest one minute, and imagine the next, you find out that your mother has passed. But, at the same time, Keep an open mind and don’t deny opportunities that come knocking.

Being needy or wanting things makes us lose our sense of autonomy. Instead, do things that add value to your life, and contribute to the lives of others. Fill the cup of life through service for those around you. Seek purpose by creating and building something of value. Compete with a better version of yourself.

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Freedom As Übermensch:

In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche describes the Übermensch. An Übermensch is a person who has overcome all external influences — tradition, norms, other people — to reach a liberated, child-like state of free play and creativity in which one wills one’s own values.

More than hedonistic, make sure life has a lot of eudemonic moments. Those times when you’re bound to have joy and optimism in life.

When there are no penalties, when no one to watch, freedom feels worthless. So, be a part of something larger than your immediate basic needs. Find strength and meaning in identifying with some larger community, vision, movement or force.

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