Why Freedom Can Never Be Free

"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off." —Gloria Steinem

Freedom is delicious—intoxicating, really. It tastes like ice cream, and feels like abs of steel. It sounds like seagulls, crashing waves, laughter… adventure, and looks like an overflowing bank account. It sounds like generous and peaceful conversations with family and colleagues, and it feels like a million kindhearted hugs.

Who wouldn't want that kind of freedom? Freedom to be who you are unapologetically, to buy what you want, to travel where you want without concern for a budget, to do work that's meaningful to you, and to take all the time you want to think, process, and recharge as needed.

Yes, freedom is yummy. And, such a delightful taste is made possible by the combination of specific ingredients… not all of which taste good in isolation.

If freedom is one side of the coin, responsibility is the other. Responsibility for a specific result puts us on the hook, and leaves us vulnerable to the possibility of failure. It's easier to avoid responsibility, and then complain that we don't get to do work that's important to our soul. It's easy to complain about politics, and it's a whole other thing to get involved in making a difference.

—We want to feel peaceful, but then we fail to include peace-inducing activities in our everyday lives. (Meditation, yoga, laughter, prayer, and chanting, just to name a few.)
—We want a President who embodies the values this great nation was built upon, but then we fail to find a way to get involved. (Bashing the system or people who are stepping up to the plate is hardly a way to build toward a political infrastructure that holds our values.)
—We want to buy food that has been grown/raised with a focus on nurturing our bodies and strengthening our environment, yet don't want to go out of our way (or spend more) to get it, or to strengthen the people who are producing it.
—We want to support the people who are doing work we believe in, but we avoid making promises when it comes to raising funds or awareness.
—We want them to like us, but then we fail to uncover the many reasons to like them.
—We want our family to accept and appreciate us for who we are, but then we hold tightly to our negative opinions of their decisions and actions.
—We want a healthy body, yet we fail to discover the motivating factors for our eating and exercise decisions.
—We want to be wealthy, though many of us don't even know what that means, or what we'd do with the money. In fact, few of us have taken the time to understand our relationship with/story around money.
—We want our employees to bring their A game consistently, to work hard, and demonstrate enthusiasm, but then we rest on our laurels when it comes to sharing an inspiring vision, learning about the hopes, dreams, and future aspirations of our team, and finding ways to help them grow.

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." —Nelson Mandela

Freedom is free, so long as we step up and own responsibility for the results that matter to our soul. Freedom will always be an inside-out game. The greater the responsibility we take for connecting to our own joy, the freer we are to see and seize the opportunities that present themselves, and create freedom in our lives.

Here's to your greatness,

Misti Burmeister

NEW! Ready to reconnect to the excitement of—

• Your work/career
• Leading your team
• Growing your bottom line, along with your people?

Grab your 40 minute Gearing for Greatness session with Misti today—http://mistiburmeister.com/GearingForGreatness

"Working with Misti Burmeister will be one of the best decisions you have ever made as a leader. She helped me integrate new behaviors and thought processes to bolster my overall leadership presence." –Kevin Frick, Professor and Dean, Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business