Isn’t freedom a good thing? How could freedom possibly be unhealthy? Isn’t freedom something that we need more of, not less?
I will address each of those questions. I’m here to challenge thoughts that have held us back, including me. Certain types of freedom are unhealthy. I’ll explain why that is and what you can do about it.
Switching from the unhealthy to the healthy types of freedom could save you many years of unfocused effort. You could achieve your dream life much faster than you ever thought possible. You have the option of using freedom foolishly or wisely. The choice is yours.
Will you stand with me for the possible future when humanity stops embracing these unhealthy types of freedom and turns from harmful to helpful freedoms?
Unhealthy Type of Freedom #1: The Freedom to Harm Yourself
You could let your mind and body waste away. You could spiral down into depression and laziness from which you never recover. You could destroy yourself in every possible way.
You could harm yourself each day. You could feed yourself a steady supply of poisons by drinking, eating, injecting, watching, listening to, reading, and inhaling them.
You could have your life consumed with poisons to the point where there is nothing else. You could waste all your time, energy, money, and resources to see how sick you can make yourself.
You could, but you don’t have to.
Some people celebrate the freedom to harm themselves. This freedom keeps humanity in its infancy.
I was curious about how far I could go in harming myself. I’m not curious anymore.
I’ve been drunk, stoned, addicted, poor, hopeless, lazy, and depressed. I’ve starved myself and isolated myself from anyone that could help. I’ve blocked off those that love me, and I’ve hated myself.
Not fun. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve had similar experiences and even worse than what I put myself through.
The cycle of pain doesn’t stop there. The freedom to harm yourself naturally extends to…
Unhealthy Type of Freedom #2: The Freedom to Harm Others
You could stand back while others harm themselves with reckless and wild abandon. You could wash your hands of your responsibility as you watch others destroy themselves. You could seal yourself away as daily genocides occur where millions of preventable deaths occur.
You could actively take part in the destruction. You could spread anger, terror, and unforgiveness. You could multiply the cancerous growth of negativity, fear, and hatred throughout our planet.
You could forget who you are as you join in with so many others forgetting who they are. You could embrace the darkness and plunge deeply into practices that strip the healthy freedoms from as many people as possible.
You could be a perpetrator of vast evil, an embodiment of whatever can be classified as inhuman. You could go so far until it seems like there is no way back for you.
You could, but you don’t have to.
Some people celebrate the freedom to harm others. This freedom keeps humanity in its infancy as well.
I used to be curious about how far I could go in harming others. I’m not curious anymore.
I’ve seen the effects I’ve had. What I’ve done unto others has also been done unto me. That helped get the message through, too.
It’s taken me much longer than I’d like to develop empathy and learn to identify with others. I’ve had the habit of seeing other people as separate from me rather than as extensions of myself or myself as an extension of them.
I’ve been rude, angry, inconsiderate, harmfully selfish, and hurtful in various ways. I’ve been creative in perpetuating pain. I didn’t deal well enough with my pain, so I multiplied it instead and passed it on to others.
Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you can think of times when you’ve caused pain and harmed others, even when that wasn’t your intention or even when it was.
How could freedom possibly be unhealthy? That depends on the type of freedom we’re talking about. As you’ve seen, unhealthy types include the freedom to harm yourself and the freedom to harm others.
Now, turning away from the negative to the positive…
What You Can Do about the Unhealthy Types of Freedom
Isn’t freedom a good thing?
Yes, it is, as long as it’s the right types, the healthy types.
Maybe you’ve been stuck in the unhealthy types for a long time. Perhaps you’ve come to the point where you identify with those unhealthy types of freedom as if you are them. As if you are harmful. As if that’s all you are.
It’s up to you to see yourself as something other than harmful. And this translates into action.
Stop harming yourself and stop harming others. But where do you go from there?
Something has to be replaced with something else. Otherwise, you might return to where you were. Promote yourself from unhealthy to healthy. Help yourself and others.
Look over all areas of your life. See where you’ve been harming yourself and others. Do less of that until eventually you’re not causing any harm, if possible. See where you’ve been helping yourself and others. Do more of that until, eventually, that’s all you’re doing. As if you are helpful. As if that’s all you are.
Here’s what it can look like when you switch from the unhealthy types of freedom to the healthy types…
Healthy Type of Freedom #1: The Freedom to Help Yourself
You could exercise your mind and body and develop them to the best of your ability. You could spiral upwards into happiness and productivity for the rest of your life. You could build yourself up and empower yourself in every possible way.
You could help yourself each day. You could get creative about it, too. You could feed yourself a steady supply of antidotes by drinking, eating, watching, listening, reading, and absorbing them.
You could have your life consumed with antidotes to the point where there is nothing else. You could invest all your time, energy, money, and resources to see how healthy you can make yourself.
You could, and you get to. You have the freedom to improve your life!
Some people celebrate the freedom to help themselves in a healthy way. This freedom helps humanity mature and reach the stage of adolescence in its development.
Yes, adolescence. Not adulthood. There is still something missing.
I started curious about how far I could go in helping myself. I’m now more curious than ever.
I’ve been ecstatic, joyful, happy, grateful, excited, hopeful, ambitious, forgiving, and thankful. I’ve rewarded myself and reached out to anyone that could help. I’ve communicated with those that love me, and I’m learning to love and accept myself.
Life has been fun. I’ve been able to see that more clearly. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve had similar experiences and even better.
The cycle of positive growth doesn’t stop there. The freedom to help yourself naturally extends to…
Healthy Type of Freedom #2: The Freedom to Help Others
You could intervene while others harm themselves with reckless and wild abandon. You could accept your responsibility and help prevent others from destroying themselves. You could take an active role in the world to reverse daily genocides where millions of preventable deaths occur.
You could actively take part in the reconstruction of humanity. You could spread forgiveness, peace, and love. You could multiply the beneficial growth of positivity, confidence, and abundance throughout our planet.
You could remember who you are as you join in with so many others remembering who they are. You could embrace the light and be a shining example with practices that provide healthy freedoms to as many people as possible.
You could be a considerable force for good, an embodiment of whatever can be classified as human and even divine. You could go so far until it seems like there is no way back for you. And that is an excellent thing indeed.
You could, and you get to. You have the freedom to improve other people’s lives, too!
Some people celebrate the freedom to help others. This freedom helps humanity mature and reach the stage of adulthood in its development.
Helping yourself and others in a healthy way shows maturity, the ultimate goal of life.
I started curious about how far I could go in helping others. I’m now more curious than ever.
I’ve seen the effects I’ve had. What I’ve done unto others has also been done unto me. That’s helped get the message through, too. I seek to do more of the good that’s been done unto me.
I’ve been developing empathy and learning to identify with others, including seeing them as extensions of myself or seeing myself as an extension of them.
I’ve been thoughtful, patient, considerate, forgiving, and helpful in various ways. I’ve been creative in increasing positivity. As I deal well enough with my pain, I release it and help others heal from their pain, too.
Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you can think of times when you’ve caused happiness and helped others, even when that wasn’t your intention or even when it was.
How could freedom be anything other than healthy? That depends on the type of freedom we’re talking about. As you’ve seen, healthy types include the freedom to help yourself and the freedom to help others.
Conclusion
We need more of the healthy types of freedom and less of the unhealthy types. It’s up to you to take care of that for yourself. You could harm, or you could help yourself and others. The choice is yours.
You can trace your development through the different types of freedom. With the unhealthy types, you’re still in your infancy. As you move on from causing harm and get helping yourself, you’re into your adolescence. When you’re helping yourself and also helping others, then you’re in your adulthood.
You’ve accepted yourself and, in so doing, accepted others. It’s all connected. If you hate yourself, then you hate others. If you love yourself, then you love others.
There are mirror images all over the place. Harming and helping. Hatred and love. You and others.
What do you want to reflect and have reflected on you?
Treat others as if you are them. How would you feel if you were treated a certain way?
You can create or destroy. You have the freedom either way. Which will you do?
Choose wisely.
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Until next time,
James Barnett
