[Neurons] 2012 Meta Reflections #31

[L. Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall

Meta Reflections 2012  #31

June 18, 2012

Empowerment Series #17

 

 

THE POWER OF FREEDOM 

 

We see this power-the power and desire to be free- in 2011 in what the media
labeled "the Arab Spring" as we saw many groups of people protesting in
request for freedom, to choose their own way, their own leaders, their own
values, their own way of life.  This is the power to choose one's own way
and to be free in the exercise of one's basic human powers, those of mind,
emotions, speech, and actions.

 

Actually, as parents we see this power very, very early in the life of a
young child.  There's seems to be something innate in human beings that we
want to have choice, to choose our own way, to choose what we think and what
we feel and what we say, and what we do.  We do not lie down and acquiesce
easily.  Any adult who today passively complies with whatever is requested
has been trained by experience and perhaps trauma to give up the need to be
oneself, to be a free thinking person.

 

And so in democracies all around the planet, these happen to be the most
basic human "rights" - freedom of thought, freedom of speech, and freedom of
action.  Yes, of course there are limits on these freedom of speech and
action-we are not free to destroy or harm others.  We are not free to yell
"fire" in crowded theaters.  And in such cases, these constraints actually
support the larger freedom for all.  This power that drives us to want to be
free is innate in people everywhere and, as a power, it is nearly impossible
to squelch.

 

So why would anyone want to squelch this power?  Oh, that's easy-because it
is dangerous!  It is messy.  It is unpredictable.  You do not have to be a
control freak to want to control it.  Parents and teachers find that things
can go along much better if there's less talk and more compliance to rules.
Managers and leaders and governors also can get things done quicker and with
less fuss if everyone will just go along with what they want!  Actually,
this is true for all of us.  We just want to do things our way and the power
of freedom of others to disagree, dislike, object, act contrary to, reject,
criticize, etc. what we want sets up the challenges of
life-with-other-humans, to wit, social life.

 

No wonder we all want to be king (or dictator) and have everything done our
way and no wonder we also want freedom to disagree and disobey the kinds and
dictators in our lives!  Ah, the power of freedom is such an incredible
power and obviously it is one not easily handled.  And that's because there
are numerous paradoxes about this power.

There is the paradox that we both want to be free and yet contained.  In
fact, the greatest freedom for driving is to drive where there are roads.
The structure of highways enables us to be most free and to more fully use
all of the power of the vehicle at our disposal.  The freedom of a train is
when it is on the tracks, not under the conditions of being derailed.  If
you work out at a gym, you know that you are most free when you use your
muscles and act in accordance with the mechanical laws of your body and not
against those laws.  Break those laws and you hurt yourself and that will
reduce your freedom.

 

Yes, you have the freedom to think all kinds of thoughts- you are even free
to think stupid, ugly, hurtful, malicious, and self-destructive thoughts.
You are that free!  But freedom from truth, from the facts, from reality,
etc. will exact a price.  Though free to think whatever you want and to send
whatever thoughts and commands to your nervous system, what you are not free
from are the consequences that you create.  You have the power to be so free
that you can neglect your health, eat junk food, drink yourself drunk night
after night, and scoff at anyone who speaks to you about it.  You are free
to do that.  You are not free from the price you will pay for that.
Consequences will occur and you are free to experience them and suffer them.

 

The power of your freedom, all of your freedoms, then, comes with a price.
And ignorance of that price will not excuse you from paying the price.  How
you exercise your freedom powers of thinking, emoting, speaking, acting,
relating, etc. will result in consequences.  If it didn't, those powers
would not be powers.  Yet they are powers- the ability to do, to take
action, to make things happen.  Yet they are not absolute powers.  They are
powers that operate within certain constraints or boundaries.

 

The power of freedom means that you ultimately have the power to decide and
choose your way of life and you do that everyday as you choose your
thoughts.  The questions then before any of us and all of us are these:




Are you fully using your freedom for unleashing your highest and best?

Are you developing your freedoms so that they are enhanced?

Are you enabling others to access and use their freedoms?

Are your beliefs, understandings, decisions, etc. supportive of your
freedoms?

Are you fully using your freedoms for actualizing the best version of you?

 

If not, find the nearest Neuro-Semanticist and access your Power Zone as
well as your matrix of meaning frames that will enrich all your inner
freedoms.

 

 

 

 

Neuro-Semantic News

.         NSTT is just 5 weeks away --- July 24-August 8 in Colorado.

 

.         This week ACMC training - Coaching Mastery --- finishes in Mexico
City to take the number of licensed Meta-Coaches, with ACMC credentials over
1,500 in 41 countries - Panama being the latest one.

 

.         The first European Coaching Mastery will be at the end of August
in Brussels.  Contact Germaine at InDialogue [germaine at indialogue.eu] or
Mario Mason mmaPS [mma at phoenix-strategies.com]- Coaching Mastery will be in
both English and French.  August 25-Sept. 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

L.  Michael Hall, Ph.D. ---  Neuro-Semantics International

Neuro-Semantics Executive Director  ----   <http://www.neurosemantics.com/>
www.neurosemantics.com

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO.  81520 USA                              

1 970-523-7877                                               

     

What is Neuro-Semantic NLP?   Get your free subscription to "Neurons" ---
the weekly International  Newsletter of Neuro-Semantics.  Subscribe at
<http://www.neurosemantics.com/> www.neurosemantics.com.   Dr. Hall sends
out  Meta Reflections  every Monday (Colorado time).  Trainers' Reflections
occur  on Tuesdays and Meta-Coach Reflections on  Wednesdays.   Contact Dr.
Hall at   <mailto:meta at acsol.net> meta at acsol.net  

 

For world-class Coach Training --- see Meta-Coaching System at
<http://www.meta-coaching.org/> www.meta-coaching.org and at
<http://www.metacoachfoundation.org> www.metacoachfoundation.org  

 

Neuro-Semantics launched the New Human Potential Movement in 2007, for
information about the Self-Actualization workshops, go to
<http://www.self-actualizing.org/> www.self-actualizing.org

 

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