Freedom. What exactly is it? Why do we want it so badly? And why does it feel so unattainable so much of the time? Whether you’re looking to achieve financial freedom, more free time in your schedule, or more freedom in your career, freedom is something that many of us want, and yet, very few of us feel like we have.
What is freedom?
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the synonyms for freedom are: autonomy, independence, liberty, self-determination and self-governance. Essentially, for me, I think freedom is all about choice. It’s about having the ability to choose what you want to do and when you want to do it.
Why do we want it so badly?
Who doesn’t want to be able to do whatever they want to do whenever they want to do it? Seems like the best kind of life, right? It’s more or less a no brainer when it comes to understanding why we all want it so badly.
Now comes the bigger and juicier question…
Why does it feel so unattainable so much of the time?
In order to feel free – whether in our schedules or our bank accounts or our careers, we need to take a RISK. We need to leave our comfort zones, do something that feels scary and have faith. The perfect example of this is skydiving. While I am the farthest thing from a thrill seeker, I imagine that skydiving feels like the ultimate sense of freedom, falling freely in the air, unrestricted by anything. But, in order to feel that amazing sense of freedom, you need to JUMP OUT OF THE PLANE. And I’m sure that that feels damn scary.
And that is why freedom feels so unattainable. Because so many of us are not willing to jump out of the plane. If you want freedom, you need to take a risk. It’s as simple as that. It may not feel easy, but it’s pretty freaking simple.
When you look at the people in the world who have achieved big time financial success and freedom, you will also see that they took HUGE scary giant leaps of faith to get to that place. They experienced rejection, bumps in the road, self-doubt, large bouts of fear, and yet they kept going, they kept focused and they plowed through. Because they were committed to seeing their goals through to reality to achieve the freedom they desired for themselves in their lives.
So the catch of freedom is that in order to achieve and experience it, you need to give up your excuses, your indecisiveness and your comfort zone. And that doesn’t always feel like the easiest choice to make. The question ultimately is, how badly do you want it?
The poet, Mary Oliver, writes, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your own wild and precious life?” What is it that YOU plan to do with your wild and precious life, dear TDL Reader? Are you going to decide to stay small, stuck and safe, OR take a deep breath, close your eyes and jump? You are free to make whatever choice you like. Which one will it be? 
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Jordana Jaffe, founder of Quarter Life Clarity, helps young women clarify and achieve their career goals in 6-12 months. She is offering a free teleseminar on Wednesday, July 25th, called, “The 7 Secrets to Creating a Business that Makes an Impact, Makes $$$, and Makes You Happy.” Sign up here! Check out her facebook and twitter page!
