Yesterday, as I honored veterans (living and dead) who have served the United States of America in the military, my thoughts turned to freedom. What is it? How do we live it every day? What would it mean if we could encourage others to embody it, and what is possible if we radiate it outwards to all corners of the world?
As part of this inquiry, my memory drifted back to 1969 and Richie Havens (a kid from Brooklyn, NY) during his opening act of Woodstock, where after three hours of performing he completely improvised the song Freedom, which was loosely based on an old spiritual "Motherless Child". The song became an anthem for that generation and launched Havens' long career.
Nearly 200 years earlier, a small group of men representing the thirteen American Colonies then at war with Great Britain declared their independence from the King and asserted that: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
With the stroke of a pen, that pithy, treasonous assertion called into question nearly the entire history of the human social order. It is an assertion that is tested to this very day. And, as the Founding Fathers of the United States of America rightly reasoned, liberty starts with the individual.
I am blessed to live in a country (the USA) where individuals are still relatively unencumbered to live, love, and lead their lives with a modicum of freedom. Yet, in the nearly 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence more than ever we live in an interdependent world where economic forces (as much as political power) shape the events of our existence. How then, do we actualize our unalienable right to liberty when economic and institutional forces seem to shape nearly all of our decisions?
The exploration of answers to these questions requires more attention than is typically reserved for a blogpost. If you are interested in achieving more freedom and liberation in your personal and professional lives, then I encourage you to join a small group of exquisite executives, managers, non-profit professionals, and business owners who will be gathering on retreat in Colorado this September to develop some answers. We'll be smashing limiting beliefs while learning how to lead on purpose in concert with our personal (and organizational) values. We will activate creativity and innovation in order to dissolve scarcity consciousness. Our aim is no less than to unleash joy and abundance at work and at home.
This retreat is not for the faint of heart. Freedom is a
conscious choice. Choose to join a group of leaders in Colorado this
September and start on the path of liberation. Go to Freedom Retreat to learn more.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a certain class of beggars known as "organ grinders" would walk the streets of large cities in America and Europe, plying crowds for small donations in exchange for entertaining them in public. These street performers would carry large music boxes (organs) that were operated by turning a crank. The grinder would often be accompanied by a monkey who would dance to the music, do tricks to entertain the audience, and then collect donations.
I was reminded last week of the Organ Grinder metaphor, as I danced to the music of several other maestros. While putting a monkey on a leash and asking it to do tricks for money is now outlawed, the activity appears to be alive and well in the course of human events.
In a free society, it is still possible to dance to one's own music (should one choose to do so). And, as Henry David Thoreau put it: "...step to the music which [you] hear, however measured or far away."
Sadly, I lost sight of this sage advice last week as I was grinding it out. Not Anymore! As I begin anew, I am reminded to follow my own music, and I am prompted to ask:
Whose Music Are You Dancing To?
Near the climax of the 1994 film, The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) engages in a dialogue with Red (Morgan Freeman) about his dreams of what life would be like outside of prison. Andy encourages Red to dream with him to which Red retorts, " I couldn't hack it on the outside. Been in here too long. I'm and institutional man now." Red pleads with Andy to stop torturing himself with "pipe dreams" of Mexico, to which Andy responds, "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying." Follow this link for a video clip of the exchange.
In what parts of your own life have you become "institutionalized'?
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”--Frank Herbert, Dune.
This is the best and most concise description I have ever come across describing the afflictive emotion or "little-death" that often confuses us and causes uncertainty/anxiety/paralysis. Worse yet, fear can cause false action.
Also wrapped up in this pithy little diddy penned by Frank Herbert and uttered by Paul Atraeides in Dune is the suggestion as to how to cope with fear: recognize it, then let it pass. Easier said than done. However, is not freedom worth the effort?
That is the question!
Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer
Someone thrust upon you by outrageous fortune,
Or to take a stand for who you want,
And by doing so, to live, to thrive, to choose.
In a free society it is still possible to choose with whom we work, and with whom we do not. Oh, I hear the raucous chorus: "Feldercarb! I must work with so and so. That's my job. I can't say no..."
Well, to test the assertion that "I must", I suggest that those in the chorus ask Byron Katie's Four Questions:
1) Is it true?
2) Can you absolutely know that it's true?
3) How do you react and what happens when you believe that thought?
4) Who would you be without that thought?
In my role as a professional coach, I am free to choose with whom I work, and with whom I do not. It's among the most beautiful and enjoyable aspects of being a coach. And, as my coaching practice develops, I am becoming more aware of the folks whom I inspire, and who inspire me in a truly Co-Active way.
My clients are:
- Calm.
- Gritty.
- Motivated.
- Dependable.
- Entrepreneurial.
- Open to change.
- Straightforward and direct.
- Deeply appreciative of coaching.
- Truly nice, pleasant, and friendly folks.
What they bring to a coaching alliance is:
- Trust.
- Courage.
- An open heart.
- Fun and playfulness.
- A positive mental attitude.
- Willingness to experiment, fail, and learn.
- Compassion for themselves and their coach.
- A burning desire to advance and transform their lives.
So, with whom do YOU truly want to work? That is the question.
