Let Freedom Ring!

How true (for you) is each of these common entrepreneurial thought paradigms?

1. That you must monitor and respond to every email?
2. That your input is necessary for every decision?
3. That by immersing yourself in the day-to-day management and running of your business you are actually contributing your greatest gifts for its success?

Whether these examples resonate with you or not, one thing is likely certain:

You don’t experience the level of freedom you crave.

Ironic, isn’t it? Most persons take the risk to launch out on their own for one compelling reason: Freedom! It may be freedom to make your own decisions; freedom of time or money; or simply freedom to live on your own terms. Whatever that yearning may look like for you, I’m betting you’re not experiencing it as fully as you’d like.

So what’s stopping you? Have you ever stepped back and wondered?

I find that most entrepreneurs search for the answers in the “doing” of business life. They evaluate tactics and strategies. Their focus is on controlling more, not less.

“If I can just accomplish 'x,' then I will earn more and that will enable me to take more time
off” is the theory. Does it work? Well, sometimes it does. But most often it leads to a perpetual cycle of doing more and enjoying LESS freedom.

Ring, Ring, Ring . . . It's Freedom calling.

What is freedom, really? The first definition found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is this: "The absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.”

Circumstantially, most of us enjoy tremendous freedom. We just don’t feel free.

Our own minds perpetually trap us into feeling as though we are not free.

Some common thoughts that prevent entrepreneurs from experiencing freedom wear these familiar guises:

- Only I can do that. Whether because we think only we can do it "just right" or because we feel a need to be in the middle of everything, holding on to control is one of the major hurdles to overcome in the quest for freedom.

- It has to be done this way. When we've had experience accomplishing something a certain way, we can become very attached to our method. Yet, there may be many options that would allow us to accomplish the same thing in less time or by spending less money.

- I'm not ____ fill in the blank ____ enough to experience extreme success.
Who decides this limitation is true for each of us? You guessed it! We do. Perhaps we're "programmed" with early messages of limitations from the adults in our lives. Or maybe we experienced a perceived failure that convinced us we don’t have what it takes. As long as we listen to these inner voices, we remain imprisoned by them, unable to access our limitless capabilities.

- If I work less, my team and my clients won't respect me. For some of us work becomes our core identity. We are enslaved by the belief that we must do x-y-z amount of work, measured in hours and output of tasks.

Real freedom is achieved when our automatic [and often negative] thoughts no longer control our actions--when we make conscious decisions, not based in fear, but rooted in purpose and values. And when we are able to show up authentically in every area of our ives with openness and inquisitiveness, we are most free. We are most alive. We are most able to choose and create new truths about our ultimate success and ourselves.

How this inner freedom translates into outer reality is nothing short of amazing. Let’s test this truth for a moment, shall we?

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. How do I define freedom for myself? Be as explicit as possible, and focus on the “why.” Are you hoping to attain something through your definition of freedom? If so, what is it and why is it important to you?

2. When I have that freedom, how will it feel? Pay particular attention to the emotions and the “feeling” of freedom. Are you expecting to feel pride, peace, power, calm, relief, etc.? Believe it or not, your main motivation for the freedom you seek is the feeling you will have as a result of that freedom.

3. What could I change in my life right now that would enable me to experience the feeling(s) identified above? For instance, if it’s peace you’re seeking, what one change could you implement immediately that would offer you that sense of peace?

You see, freedom comes from within. It is yours to access now—not years from now. It doesn’t require a certain amount of money, a particular achievement, or extra time.

Knowing that you are free, how will you reprioritize your life? What changes will you make in your business so you can truly appreciate that freedom?

Let me know. I’d be delighted to hear your answers!

Until then,

Be Free!