Living Love through The Practice of FREEDOM

The Practice of FREEDOM, our congregational theme for the month of June, is challenging for me. Perhaps it is for you, too?

Our friends at the Soul Matters Sharing Circle explain that there is a dilemma when it comes to freedom. It's one thing to experience "freedom from" – that is to say, running away from the things we want to protect ourselves against; and quite another to engage in "freedom to" – saying yes to our hearts' desires.

"Our Unitarian Universalist faith…pushes us to ask the deeper question of 'What is it that you want to run toward?'," Soul Matters continues. "Mature freedom...is about being able to commit yourself to the things that have your heart."

But how do we determine what has our hearts?

"Getting Reacquainted with your Core Values," one of the Spiritual Exercises in this month's Ministry Guide, could be helpful. We are first being asked to review a list of core values compiled by Brené Brown, a research professor, author, and motivational speaker who studies vulnerability, courage, shame, and empathy.

(Professor Brown calls her program "dare to lead," but it could easily be called "dare to be free.")

From this list, we are asked to select five core values which have our heart; to do that, it is helpful to reflect on peak experiences – "profound and transformative moments when we feel most alive and clear about who we are." The next step is to explore those core values by answering some of suggested questions, such as:

• Where did these values come from?

• What gets in the way of you leaning into them more fully?

• What’s one small act you can take this month to bring one of your core values more into the foreground of your life?

  
  

Perhaps you may also want to practice embodied exploration, a meditative process that will enable you to see where you carry each of your core values in your body. (Instructions for engaging in that process are included in the same Spiritual Exercise.)

Who does not want the freedom to be all that our hearts want us to be? Are you free to be ALL that you really are? I know I am not there yet in the way I live my life. I also recognize that the constraints against feeling true freedom are of my own creation – the stories I tell myself about what others think and feel about me, or how they will think and feel if I break free and do what's in my heart. It's all about judgment, but it turns out that the person doing the most judging of me is me, rather than others.

Here is one (very personal) example:

I rarely invite friends over to my home because I am afraid they will judge it to be not good enough. So I just don't invite them in! I feel most vulnerable about my dated kitchen, so I've been working on plans to renovate it, but: what will others think of the blue cabinets I simply love? (Hmm, maybe I should go with the white cabinets after all….) I also want to add color to my walls, but the real-estate people say that if I'm thinking of selling my home anytime soon, gray is the only way to go. I get caught up in a circle of second-guessing myself about everything, based on what I think other people will think…and then nothing gets done!

You may recognize this as classical "analysis paralysis." Ultimately, however, the arch-enemy of personal freedom is fear. When you drill down to its very foundation, personal freedom is about authenticity. It means giving ourselves permission to be whole…and holy. Unafraid! When we are truly being our authentic selves, we don't need to worry about anything other than living – and loving. If we let go of the fear and grant ourselves the freedom to live from our hearts, what will others think and feel? (Only love, of course!)

What does it take to break free from fear and give ourselves the "freedom to"? Whew, that certainly sounds like a lot of hard work! But then, perhaps all it takes is just doing it!

While writing this reflection, the words of a little round song came into my mind and would not leave:

What are you afraid of?

What do you desire?

Life is brief beyond belief; life is brief beyond belief.

Dive into the water; walk through the fire.

– Mary Buckley

There is no time like the present to be free to be our true selves! Are you ready to give up all fear and step forward into personal freedom, living love more deeply each day as a result? As we walk together along The Path of FREEDOM this month, let's help each other bravely be our beautiful and authentic selves.

Seeking more inspiration and wisdom about The Practice of FREEDOM? Check out this month’s Soul Matters Overview and the complete Ministry Guide for this theme.