Lotus. life — Why do I want freedom?

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 2

Today’s challenge is all about discovering my why. Why do I want to live the freedom lifestyle.

First, let me try to define what freedom is to me. Freedom to me boils down to having choice. The choice to say no or yes in my freelance work and to events in my life. The choice to think of a country and then go there. The choice to practice singing with my voice app, or practice my trombone, or practice meditation…….in the middle of the day (admittedly, the meditation sometimes turns into a nap, what can I say, I get tired in these Japanese summers). The choice to go out for a walk or a bike ride and drink decent coffee (bei ricordi Italia). To have the choice to go to bed early or sleep for 8 hours because if I don’t, I have to dig deep for the degree of energy that I need to be the person I want to be when I’m running a 1-to-1 session or an improvisation workshop (oh, and because otherwise I’ll be a huge grumpy arse.)

To have the choice to involve myself so passionately in a project that I spend every working hour for a month or so getting it done. I’m OK with this as it brings me so much pleasure to see a project come to fruition that any pain is forgotten. I’m an optimist. To have the choice to say yes and be the voice of the latest navigation system or the 65 year old witch that has come to capture the princess (see profile for reference). To have the choice to accept a role that requires months of rehearsals and a week of performance. To have the choice to enjoy coaching my engaged clients and involving myself so deeply that their success and fun is all that matters in that moment. To have the choice to celebrate watching my clients grow because they are open to growth and are willing to let me in. I chose to be part of that process.

Choice is my freedom.

If I don’t have these things, then my natural motivation loses it’s sparkle. I lose sense of direction. I become wayward and destructive. The structure becomes chaotic, which takes away the framework for my happiness.

I need to have choice because then I can explore or seek the next opportunity that turns my head, or that my head says no to but my gut says yes to. I want to choose to play in my work. I want to choose to experience pleasure and the pleasure and joy of others.

And now I choose to message someone I have affection for, and prioritise a chapter in a book (I’ll tell you what it is if you leave a comment) and an early night, over adding to my website. (see above ref to grumpy)

I chose because I have choice and I want to maintain and explore that.