True Freedom
July 6th, 2009 Posted in Leadership, Newsletter
I love July 4th. Not just because of the fireworks, barbeque and excitement that Independence Day brings. I love it because it’s a holiday that celebrates the greatest gift to humanity… freedom.
Freedom is not something many of us think about on a daily basis and yet if you consider the great struggles and triumphs throughout history they are stories of an oppressed group of people who sought, desired, and found freedom. The quest for freedom is also a story that lives inside each and every one of us.
I remember two years ago when I went on a book tour for The Energy Bus. I drove thousands of miles and visited 30 cities. My wife and kids joined me for part of the trip but I also spent many hours, days and miles driving alone.
At one point on the journey I looked in the rearview mirror and realized I had all this stuff on my bus that I didn’t need. Why did I travel with all these bags of useless stuff for so long, I wondered?
I believe every one of us can say the same about our life journey. We hold on to bags that only weigh us down. For some it’s the bags of “the past” or the bags of disappointment. For others, its bags of distrust, self-doubt, mistakes, fear, anger and pain.
These bags hold us back from greater success, joy, love and prosperity. They slow us down, and drain our positive energy—keeping us from the success and life we desire. We may live in a free country but we don’t feel free. Inside we feel imprisoned by the bags we carry.
You know which bags I’m talking about. I don’t have to tell you what they are. They affect your work, your life and your relationships. Just as I looked in the rearview mirror of my bus, you can look in the rear view mirror of your life and know which bags need to be left behind.
Then you can do what I did. I didn’t want to drive heavy. I wanted to travel light. So I let the bags off the bus. You can do the same. As author Max Lucado says, “You can release the burdens you were never meant to carry.”
I remember the moment I let the bags off my bus. I was somewhere past Phoenix driving through the desert. I found a big trash can and put the bags where they belonged. I got back in the bus with the past behind me and a road full of daylight ahead. A big smile came upon my face. I was now free to enjoy the ride.
I hope you’ll do the same… and experience true freedom.
What does Freedom mean to you? Join the conversation on our blog.
Stay Positive!
Jon
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Tags: business, jon gordon, Newsletter, positive tip, success, The Energy Bus, true freedom
6 Responses to “True Freedom”
By Seth Yantiss on Jul 6, 2009
Freedom: The ability to make choices for oneself and reap the consequences of those choices. The choices may result in success or failure, triumph or defeat, elevation or derision, but they are choices that you make freely.
Freedom to make choices (with the caveat that the choices hurt no one save yourself) is the bedrock of innovation. Innovation is what propelled the United States from wilderness to the beacon in less time than any peoples prior.
Protection is the opposite of freedom. The more we are protected we are from our choices the greater the reduction in innovation. By protecting us from ourselves, we reduce the spirit that allowed us to conquer the great challenges of life.
Conquering a challenge gives us strength. Rising to the occasion enhances our sense of worth. Overcoming limits is in our nature and a repression of that depreciates our WILL.
When people tell me that I CAN’T do something, I ask “why?” If the response doesn’t include hurting someone else, I find a way to do it rather than let the problem beat me.
Do not let the Vampires, Looters, or Moochers tell you that you cannot achieve your desires. Do not be daunted by a challenge. Don’t be foolish in your recognition of your abilities, or overzealous with your timeline either… Make plans, then follow them. Examine what works, what doesn’t. Learn from the experiences of others… Innovate solutions.
Yearn for success! Lead through the mire. Resist protectionism!
Be FREE!
By Christine Minadeo on Jul 6, 2009
Freedom. Freedom to pick and choose, come and go and partake of the world’s ways is really bondage to me. I choose the Total Freedom that God offers in His promises. Freedom to trust Him and His Word. Freedom when I choose to obey Him. Freedom to accept all of His Blessings. God’s ways are the ways of TOTAL FREEDOM!
By Bobbi Blades on Jul 6, 2009
Thanks,Jon. Your words so appropriately speak the truth.
By Corrie on Jul 6, 2009
Jon - this post was perfect. While I read it on the 6th, I actually started clearing out “bags” over the weekend. Something clicked in me and I realized that for me to be open to receiving the blessings in the Universe that I know are waiting for me, I had to make room for them. It’s a big project, but I’m working through it. It’s great, liberating.
I’m free to explore my world, open my heart and soul to the power and energy of the Universe. These are exciting times.
By Tim Lencki on Jul 7, 2009
Thanks for the encouragement. I find my freedom in Jesus Christ. Had a great opportunity to preach this past weekend at my church and spoke on how God will hold us together. So many people are struggling in life - financially, relationally, physically - and with it comes the baggage you talk about. I find my peace in Proverbs 3:5-6. God is bigger than it all and he will hold us together if we only seek Him.
By Eva on Jul 10, 2009
Jon, this was a very, well written post. It’s actually helped me a lot, to look at myself, and I saw that I was actually really struggling. Thanks for this encouragement!