I have been thinking of this long since there have been so many movies celebrating freedom in various ways. Somehow I see an inherent common thread in all of them and people connecting to these themes way more often. That is breaking free from invisible shackles of rules defined by someone else for you, breaking free from a good boy/ girl image to try something outrageous and feeling emancipated. I wonder do we really feel so tied up in our life that thrill and adventure define happiness, liveliness and absolute freedom for us. This is difficult for me to understand why freedom cannot define the way you live every day, every moment, do what you want, say what you want , enjoy everything around you, and keeping yourself fully in control of your wishes and aspirations. When I see this dependence on external stimuli that control our happiness and will (alcohol, travel, adventure, momentary thrills), it makes me feel somewhat puzzled. No doubt they add some zing to everyday routine and feel good, but if they start defining our idea of freedom, there is a problem.
To me, freedom is how I decide for myself in all spheres of life everyday that I live and holding myself accountable for my decisions and not repenting for them. I want to be completely in control of my life, the choices that I make, without any inhibitions. Yes there will be some choices that are ingrained into us due to values that we acquire and some forced upon us in a way due to external circumstances, but we can question them to identify their relevance for the person that we are. We can say no if we must and pick our choices in more areas that are more important to us. That is freedom to me. If I can say that I am happy about my choices and they were mine without any regrets, I am free. If I do not need to compare my life with my peer group to decide how good I am doing, I am free. If I do not have to rely on external opinions about my choices and my value and perception, I am free. If I live on my terms, my values and hold my needs in high esteem without
caring to tweak them to please others, I am free.
Maybe this genre of movies/ ideas turns me off because I feel that freedom is rated above values and goodness in general. Moreover, there is usually a cliché in all such scenarios where the character who is doing well- off, studious, and more sincere is shown as inhibited or restricting their freedom as the price paid. They were following a rule book which was not theirs. Somehow I do feel that I have been following most of these rules and I still do, but I completely disagree with the representation. I have been more studious, because I loved reading and learning, I got married in my first relationship because I chose to, not because I had to get married. I did MBA and then a job and both were my decisions, I never bunked classes or copied in school/ college, because I hated cheating of any kind. Even If I get nothing better than those who did, I will never regret my decisions or want to change anything. I do a job and I love what I do and I go to office everyday with excitement and looking forward to the day, not because I have to earn some money. Obviously I want to earn money but that does not define my happiness at work. I chose my field of work and I am happy with all of my choices in personal and professional circle. I do not worship at all or follow any ritual associated with any event because I do not believe in them. I love God for how he/ she has supported me in all odds and feel gratitude for the people in my life everyday. I am happy and I am free and yes I never needed to emancipate myself through any external stimuli. Yes, I do travel and enjoy with people around but I can enjoy with nobody around almost as much. That is freedom for me.
