I was raised by stories: by my grandfather who barely escaped the Cossacks in Russia, who watched them murder his older brother; by my father who was not free to go to high school in Cuba because of daily riots; by my mother who had to choose between going to college or marrying my dad – a common choice in the 1950s.
I grew up knowing I had freedoms my family at one time did not have – to openly choose my spiritual path, to attend school safely and without discrimination, to follow my career dreams WHILE choosing to marry. And even more importantly, through the way they faced their challenges, my ancestors gave me a glimpse into what ultimate freedom truly means. It's the freedom we have in our own minds, especially when faced with great difficulty. No one can take our freedom away to rise up or open our hearts, to see the good in people and situations, to give without expecting in return, to do what’s right when it's against the grain, to change ourselves instead of blame others, to trust.
The list of inner decisions we are free to make is endless. It is the human ego that truly imprisons us – bombarding us with thoughts of 'I can't' or 'why me', trying to limit our soul’s capacity to achieve its purpose and to love and give for absolutely no reason. Every difficulty is a chance to free ourselves from the self-centered barriers that separate us from our ultimate destiny - to tap into the peace and greatness known as our soul, enabling us to achieve anything and everything under the sun. This is true freedom.
True Freedom - It's All in Our Minds
