March 15Challenge Freedom
The love of freedom is one of those natural impulses of the human breast which cannot be extinguished. Even the brute animals of the creation feel and show sorrow and affection when deprived of their liberty. Therefore is a distinguished writer justified in saying, “Man is free, even were he born in chains.”
William Wells Brown—Three Years in Europe; or, Places I Have Seen and People I Have Met (1852)
Brown wrote of the morally reprehensible practice of literal human slavery, the abolition of which became a central social issue for many of the transcendentalists.
Brown's unique point of view was one of both abolitionist and slave. Although I'm making no attempt here to draw any comparison to the freedom you enjoy, it is the last line that deserves context.
It is easy to feel helpless against our circumstances. Some challenges are indeed real, but most are simply made real by our relationship with them.
What we believe about the labels and tags we or others assign to us is what motivates how we behave. We can break free only when we become aware of the positive beliefs we have about ourselves and our circumstances and then move to supercharge those beliefs.
Today, consider this thought: what you believe makes you who you are.
Challenge Question
- Where are you giving away your freedom?
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