Today, I had an epiphany. True freedom can be achieved in only one way. Through mastery over ones own mind. A tour de force of mental discipline, so to speak. Of course, this was something I had heard repeated countless times, in various forms and places — books, blogs, haikus — you name it. But today, I felt the truth of those words in the very core of my being.
I guess this small piece of wisdom came to me because I finally understood what freedom is. At least for me. It’s a word which means a lot of things for a lot of different people. Political freedom, religious freedom, civic freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of expression…entire constitutions have been written to describe this short, simple word.
But for me, freedom has come to mean having the ability to choose my state of mind, regardless of my present circumstance. I felt that today. And it was an incredibly liberating feeling. I have to confess though. Over the last year and a half, I’ve been working on just this aspect of myself, with limited success. Every time I felt that I was making progress, it would all came crashing down. Due to various reasons. I would let my circumstances overpower my emotions and my state of mind.
Something strange happened today. An event happened which would normally have caused me to breakdown. And instead of fighting the emotions welling up inside me, I just let them be. Let them wash over me. And I sat there watching them. In that moment, I was free. Free to see the universe for what it truly was. Vast, interconnected, filled with love and understanding.
It was a fleeting moment. But I know that I’ve discovered the secret to mastering my mind. And these moments will come again, and fill up every moment of my existence. Happiness and sadness are mere illusions. What’s real is only acceptance, and once you accept your reality for just the way it is, nothing more and nothing less, then you’ll find peace. Then you’ll be free.