7 Day Positivity Challenge | Day 5 | Still I'll be damned if I let you take my Freedom ⛓️

Let’s go on with the challenge, ready for day five! I was tagged earlier this week by my friend @mrprofessor. It’s about a challenge where I need to talk about seven things that we are grateful for. One per day of the week. Today will be my fifth day.

I had a meeting with my dentist today. Nothing to worry just the regular checkup twice a year. Normally I arrange those things early in the morning. But I had to reschedule this appointment but there were no early hours available anymore for the upcoming months. So, it is what it is. I can arrange with my work that I can work wherever I want. I didn’t want to lose too much time with traveling forth and back so today was a working day at home. And I was thinking about this, this really gives me the feeling of freedom and I really appreciate that. And because of the challenge I started thinking about the sense of freedom. Because what is this feeling, I’m still attached to working for my boss. But does this point makes my feelings about freedom untrue? Think not, freedom is a sense it’s a feeling in your head.

Iceland and windsurfing, freedom or not?

Freedom

Like I said above I think this is a sense of feeling in your head, and only you can block this feeling by what you think. Let me explain, If you always think like this: I must go to work, I must pay the mortgage. And you can think your totally right about this point.

But I can say to you, there is nothing you have to do! Although you want to do many things.. Different way of thinking. Yes you have to pay the mortgage if you don’t want to get kicked out of your house by the bank. But who told you that you had to buy this house? Right you wanted to live there by yourself. And the mortgage was a way of paying the price for the house. But there is no one (not even the bank!) telling you, that you MUST stay in your house. Am I right?

Freedom can mean a lot of things. I think a lot of people will say with money I can buy all the freedom in the world. Yes, that is true, with money you can buy choices. And when you got the feeling you have a choice, you can think that is freedom. But let me show you this with a different point of view. You standing in the supermarket, and you want to buy a peanut butter jar. But the supermarket has 20 different jars of peanut butter. You have to think about it, which one am I gonna buy? And because this moment you have to think about it, consumes some of your time and some of your freedom. When the supermarket only has one jar.. You pick that one and you don’t have to think about it, but you're happy because you got your peanut butter.

Imagine that freedom is already inside you, from the moment you’ve been born. It is the same as the feeling of happiness. You can’t reach that, can’t study that it’s something you already own. It’s somewhere deep inside of you. Just imagine you can have the feeling of being totally free (even if you’re not physically not) forever.

Unleash it

But how do you unleash that feeling from inside? Some points how I think that it works for me.

Unleash the freedom

• Living out of fear limits your freedom, just be aware of this. Try to life with confidence and most important face your fears. You’re afraid of heights? Just go on top of a mountain and beat the fear inside you.
• Try to live the stream of life, things will come as they come. Even I can’t always live like this, this is a hard one. But you are yourself and the things happening are the things happening to you. It’s your choice how you think about those things that are happening. So do try not to live out of fear but out of confidence, then this part will be easier.
• This point is total fun! Yeah serious, no hard things to do, this one is fun and easy. Try to do as many things you like. If you don’t like it, give it a meaning something that has value for you. Sometimes you hate things, but the reward is beautiful. I hate walking, that’s why I always bring my camera with me when my girlfriend wants to go for a hike. Every track we do, has some beautiful views. And as a reward I can take pictures from these beautiful views. Ok I have to walk for it… boring! But the reward is perfect!
• Just realize that you don’t have to do anything. I know this is easy to say, but when you try to do it it’s very hard to accomplish. You don’t have to go to all those useless family birthdays, it’s your own choice to go there. If you go, make sure you’ll like them.
• And to continue with the last point. Just stop saying that you have to do something. Just say that you want to do something.
  So, remember all those people that are traveling around the world. They don’t experience more freedom because they’re traveling. They experience freedom because they do things they like, not because they have to. But even at home you can get the same feeling. Yeah I know, I just got back from my journey in New Zealand easy talking for me. But really, it’s true.

Locus of Control

I did some research to the feeling of freedom, and there is even a name for it in the world of psychology. They call it Locus of control. When you have the idea that you control your own life, then you have an internal locus of control. But the opposite is also there, when you think you are lived and you feel like you don’t control it any more than your locus of control is external.

Julian Rotter is the creator of this theory. His Locus of control is the control room of your life. Are you behind the buttons or is someone else doing it for you? Off course there is a group of people between those two extremes, but I think most of the people will fit in one of the two groups.

Rotter says, off course we all experience things we can’t control. You get sick, we all got older etc. But it is you and only you who is controlling how you react on these things
When you want to be free, YOU and only you have to make choices. You can’t have your cake and eat it an Englishman would say😉

My freedom and yours?

For me freedom is being on or in the water. But I make sure I have the choice. Yes the wind won’t be always there when I want it. That’s why I bought a sup, the wind ain’t gonna spoil MY party. 😉
How do you think about your freedom? Are you really free, or do you see limitations everywhere?

I was tagged by @mrprofessor to:

Write a post about something you have to be positive about today - this could be anything from being thankful for your current situation, someone being nice to you, being thankful for your friends and family, or even being thankful for the opportunity you have been given here on Steemit - just keep it positive :)
• Do this for 7 days in a row if you get nominated.
• Mention three people who should do this on each day.
• Tag it with #7daypositivitychallenge and include these rules at the bottom of your post Include a picture of something positive (related to your story if possible.)
• Tip: You need to put the # in front of 7daypositivitychallenge or it will not let you use the tag.

I would like to tag my friends @sticksforstones, @everythingnice and @surfermarley whom I believe would write some beautiful texts - please don't feel obligated, but you've been tagged!

Just wandering around