I was walking today, looking at the blue sky, experiencing the sun on my face on a cold November morning and I was contemplating what freedom looks like, what is finding freedom all about?
At the same time I was listening to an interview with writer Glennon Doyle (author of a book called Untamed) who told the story of a cheetah she saw in a zoo, she spoke of how Tabitha the cheetah had been tamed by being bought up with a Labrador, and how Tabitha copied what the Labrador showed her how to do. However, at the end of the Cheetah run she went over with her daughter and saw Tabitha holding her head majestically pacing up and down around the perimeter of her enclosure and spoke out loud to her daughter what she thought the cheetah was thinking. She thought the cheetah would be saying there must be more than this, I have the feeling that I should be able to run free, I want to sleep under the velvet black sky and hunt my own food, I don’t know why I know I just know there must be more to life than this.
It struck a cord with me, how many times have we felt that there must be more to life than we have, that little niggle in our imagination that this is not where we saw ourselves and yet somehow we have ended up here.
When we ignore our dreams and dumb down our aspirations, we start to experience stress and overwhelm. Who says we can’t have it, who says we can’t go after our dreams, who tells us that? Who is the Labrador in our life that has trained us as to how and when we should run?
When we find our true selves and start to believe that it is ok to be our true selves that is when, not only we, but all those around us start to flourish.
When you feel empowered you are an inspiration to those around you. Helping them to recognise those positive qualities you embody within themselves. You begin to recognise and listen to your intuition and you become decisive and strong about following your heart.
Helping yourself to be clear about your own needs and being comfortable in the knowledge that your first priority has always to be yourself. This is not selfish because when we take care of our self, we feel good and when we feel good, we then have ample resources left to care for others. When you meet your own needs, you then discover that the needs of those around you actually begin to change and as a consequence your world begins to change … for the better.
So when Tabitha looked out beyond the perimeter walls, did she think I have it fairly good here, they feed me, they look after me and I have a friendly Labrador for company. Or did she really want to run past the perimeter and live the life she was born to live?
When will you learn to be untamed? When will you find What freedom is about?
Elaine Bradford is a solution focused hypnotherapist, helping clients Find their Freedom and live the best life they can live.
For a free initial consultation visit her website on www.elainebradford.co.uk