Free At Last

I got a text from someone who said she has finally regained her independence and looking forward to meeting up. That’s understandable given her age and vulnerability which led to her being in isolation for the past three months.

For many people, these past months have been like being in prison but for others, the same period has been freeing and liberating. So which is it for you? How have you viewed this ‘restrictive’ time?

I guess it depends on who you are, where you are in life and the level of clarity you have about what you want the future to look like. Although we’ve all been in the same boat, we are coming out differently depending on actions we took and what we focused on during this time.

Did you focus on losses versus gains? Did you focus on freedom versus captivity? Did you focus on opportunities or closed doors?

I know people who started new businesses and other charitable initiatives during this COVID-19 crisis. Others responded to immediate gaps that this crisis created and stepped in to fill them.

Many of us figured out new ways to run existing businesses or started to look at multiple streams of income. Yet for others, it showed them the need for their status quo to change.

For some it’s been a well deserved time of rest and re-firing in preparation for the restrictions being lifted.

We found new ways to connect with family, realised we can celebrate occasions without breaking the bank. Weddings don’t need a crowd to be valid and people can start off their married lives with minimal pressures.

Interestingly, we realise that not going abroad for holidays is not the end of the world and perhaps not worth the financial burdens we sometimes put ourselves under. As for me, making my own pizza dough and bread is now a breeze and no longer a chore.

As the worldwide restrictions are now being lifted, most of us will breath a sigh of relief saying, ‘thank God we are free at last’ but what exactly will our freedom be for?

Free for purpose and re-purpose

No doubt many of us had time to ask some big questions. You might have asked, ‘is this all there is to life?’ Or wondered what your purpose is? Am I on the right track? Are there projects that I have abandoned or been slack about?Are there visions that I set aside due to busyness of life?

As we regain our freedom, we have a chance to not let the valuable answers go to waste.

Free to embrace the new ways

If we are not careful, our freedom can take us back to the same old things and ways of doing things. We have had a blessing of seeing alternative ways of doing life, family, work and business; but this only remains valuable if we adopt these new ways going forward.

Free to continue to create

The past three months gave us space and time to rest, think and re-strategise. Many, no doubt, had creative ideas downloaded to them, others perhaps used their journals more frequently.

Now we are free to continue to build on those new thoughts, ideas, businesses and strategies. We are free to create things that will make the world a better place.

Free to continue to learn

We have had the opportunity to meditate, pray, read, study, and listen more. This has ranged from discovering new books and podcasts to online courses.

This doesn’t need to end. As we go back to our ‘new normal’, we must make sure learning remains part of the activities.

Free to appreciate more

If there’s anything that this time should have taught us, it should be not to take life for granted. Many people died during this crisis and they cut across all demographics – education level, age, profession or wealth status and faith.

This tells me that those of us who made it through are fortunate and blessed. This is not a time to complain but a time to be grateful for the gift of life and health. We survived for a reason. Let’s figure that out and be grateful as we pursue that.

What will your new freedom be for? You can shape the future by making a decision today to use your freedom for something purposeful, enriching, energising, positive and meeting a need the world has.

Thank you for reading my post. Have a great week.