A proven strategy for finding inner freedom. Article. Stopping internal dialogue. Self-knowledge.ru

Inner personal freedom

The problem of inner freedom is as old as the world. For many centuries, people have been striving to understand their essence, the world, to find freedom and harmony. Why do we often feel like prisoners of life, refuse opportunities, are afraid to decide to change, to go towards new discoveries? Freedom is a life choice; you can live by the rules of others or find your own path, act according to the dictates of your heart.

A free person is distinguished by courage, confidence, a clear position in life, and commands respect. Such people often become leaders, help others understand the world around them, find their calling and values.

Limiters of internal freedom - thoughts, prohibitions, negative attitudes, fear. We often drive ourselves into a “dungeon” on our own due to lack of faith, lack of positive thinking, the presence of complexes, and a negative attitude towards ourselves and the world.

Life is the same for everyone
But still we see a special world,
From the existing obstacles,
The strongest of all are the shackles of the soul. ©

Negative thinking and attitudes distort the picture of life, exaggerate the colors and present everything in gloomy tones. But there is always a way out: discover potential, “learn to fly,” strive upward.

The book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach will help you understand and feel inner freedom. The main character is Jonathan the seagull, he strives to learn to fly higher than other birds, but the flock does not support his aspirations, why strive upward, be like everyone else. But faith, burning desire and constant training work wonders. He became free, learned to fly, and later taught wisdom to those who wanted to find freedom.

The book carries a special spirit of freedom, everyone can fly, the main thing is to believe. A person’s inner freedom is the rejection of negative assessments of others, the ability to live by one’s own ideals and goals. It's better to make a mistake than to live a life that isn't yours. It is important to find self-expression: sing, dance, draw, reach your horizons.

The path to freedom is a road of untrodden paths, understanding of one’s own inner world, the ability to live, overcoming fears, complexes, and the opinions of others. A person’s internal freedom and non-freedom depends on the ability to go beyond the usual, think outside the box, creatively, understand the world around him, and feel flight. There lives a “free seagull” in everyone; we often don’t let it into the sky, preferring a bird in our hand.

How difficult it is sometimes to overcome all restrictions and boundaries, to follow the dictates of your heart, to get off the ground, to fly towards your dreams and goals. But anything is possible.

Do what you love

According to experts, free people try to make their favorite business bring them profit. To do this you just need to love your job. There can be no talk of inner freedom if you treat your work like hard labor. In addition, you are absolutely dependent on your boss or director, who determines the size of your salary.

Thus, while doing something you don’t like, you are financially and psychologically dependent on another person, who sets you the program by which you must live. Undoubtedly, money is very important in our world. However, chasing profit, the individual becomes their hostage. To improve the situation, you don’t have to become a hermit or throw your own financial well-being aside. If you don’t know how to become free and happy, find yourself an activity that would become your permanent source of income or additional income. The main thing is that you work in the area in which you are interested. As a result, you will be filled with only positive emotions.

How to become a free person?

Take responsibility for your own life - a free person does not depend on circumstances and surroundings. Rather, he forms them himself. Does he go his own way, choose what to do, how to act? He clearly understands goals, strives for them, understanding that obstacles are just the wind, it cannot break or interfere. If you blame life and others for difficulties, there will be no progress; it is important to understand your own role, the ability to control and manage events by changing attitudes, thoughts, and actions. How to take responsibility? We can influence life in different ways: minimally - by creating positive thinking, internal attitudes, maximally - by helping with actions, decisions, making life choices.
Open your inner potential - freedom of self-expression allows you to find hidden talents and learn new things. All restrictions are illusory; boundaries can be expanded indefinitely. Great people were able to go beyond limits, overcome fear - make discoveries, strive to realize their abilities and dreams. Often new ideas are met with misunderstanding by society, and the desire for change does not resonate with relatives and friends. And years later, when a person succeeds in his endeavors, they are proud of him. You should not count on others, faith must live in the heart. People did not believe in the possibility of flying instruments, that the Earth revolves around the Sun, and were not aware of the possibilities of satellite communications. Life is changing at tremendous speed, we can make our contribution to the development of society, leave a mark on history, science, creativity. A person becomes free if he follows the call of his heart, strives to realize his abilities, open up new opportunities. You need to live here and now, realize your full potential, discover inner freedom, forget your fears.
Filling life with meaning - awareness distinguishes a free person, knows why he lives, strives for his own goals. Understanding personal aspirations and purpose, you can make a free choice: how to live, what to do, and justify your life position. It is important to define your mission and life goals. If you set global true goals, then the achievement will be more interesting. The meaning of life is knowledge, freedom, self-realization, helping people. Everyone is looking for a way to fill their days with meaning and be useful to society. Society would be ideal if everyone lived according to their calling, did their work with soul and love. It is not necessary to change the field of activity, you can fill it with new meaning and significance. It is not the work that makes the man, but the man the work. A sincere, cheerful and highly developed person can make the lives of others better, regardless of profession (doctor, teacher, psychologist, coach).
Learning to enjoy life - awareness of freedom is associated with the ability to rejoice, to see the beautiful side of existence. Live in this moment, give up suffering and worries about the past. Eastern sages are always smiling, positive, radiating happiness and peace. Anyone who knows life and understands his own role can calmly enjoy the sunset, the singing of birds and the rustling of leaves. The opportunity to live is given once, why use it in vain for suffering, it is better to learn to receive joy. Happy is the one who counts his achievements, not his losses. Give thanks for all the good things and you will be able to achieve more. It is worth noticing the best in yourself - everyone has talents, strengths, and achievements. There are many possibilities hidden in a person; you need to believe in yourself, unlock your potential, and fill yourself with the power of thought and action.
Develop immunity to troubles - gaining inner freedom comes when the outside world cannot influence the state of inner peace and happiness. By giving up negative reactions and thinking, you can build a new life. We often live by circumstances, but inner peace is more important than minor troubles; they are often not worth attention, loss of strength, energy, experiences. A calm and philosophical worldview distinguishes a free person from an ordinary person; a person with inner freedom is ready to calmly accept any situation, endure adversity, because “There’s no point in being offended by the weather, it’s better to put on a raincoat and take an umbrella.” Events are like a background or screensaver, and their coloring is given by our attitude: thoughts, emotions. It is better to develop a calm and positive attitude, why be offended by something that is beyond our control. By working on ourselves, we change the world. Why allow troubles at work, traffic jams or negative statements to influence yourself, your mood, your state? A person becomes free and invulnerable if he does not accept the negativity sent by circumstances and people. Internal defense - ignoring negativity, self-confidence in one’s own actions. Calmness is the highest power, it is not necessary to prove that you are right, it is enough to act in accordance with personal principles and allow others to live their own lives. This is the freedom and strength of the individual.
Having a calm attitude towards mistakes and failures means that it is not always possible to immediately achieve what you want in life. You often have to fall and get up, some give up, others keep going. Only strong-willed and self-confident individuals are able to work miracles and surprise with their indestructible will and achievements.

Mistakes are normal. The qualifications of a specialist are determined by the presence of damaged equipment and the number of errors. They allow you to gain experience and become wiser.

The winners are those who do not retreat in case of failure and look for ways to come to their dream city. The absence of self-criticism and criticism distinguishes a free person who understands: I have the right to make mistakes, but I may not always be right. This is wisdom and understanding of life. There are no ideal people, but there is an opportunity to become even better, learn new things, develop abilities, and gain knowledge. The wise perceive experience as a teacher, and even in unpleasant situations they see the positive side.

Every failure is a step forward, an invaluable life experience. One day, all the knowledge gained through mistakes will help you create your new reality and achieve your highest aspirations.

So, what should a free person be like? A self-sufficient, self-confident person who accurately understands his life path, aspirations, and has a positive attitude towards life, people, and himself. For him there are no restrictions, no impossible, they act and focus on maximum results.

Internal and external freedom differ in a person’s sense of self. You can actually be free - live in a free country, your own apartment, have the opportunity to choose, but not feel freedom, feel constant pressure from society.

A person’s inner freedom is the result of working on oneself, the ability to understand the world around us, and live in harmony with oneself. It is difficult to change those around you; it is better to change yourself and your perception of life. It is useful to get rid of negativity, internal complexes and limitations that prevent you from taking off, revealing your potential, and living in accordance with your desires, principles, and ideas.

What does it mean to be free? See only one reason for your joys and failures - yourself, give up negative assessments, determine the main goals, go to the necessary results regardless of circumstances, events, assessments. A free person does not torment himself with worries, does not suffer from a guilt complex or imperfection, and accepts himself as he is. Self-esteem is an important character trait, a principle of life.

The level of internal freedom depends on the ability to implement the basic principles. You can strive for self-knowledge, discovery of talents, development, positive thinking, awareness. But lack of immunity to trouble or criticism will negate the positive aspects. Only the presence of all the criteria will allow you to feel calm and freedom; nothing should disturb you, cause anger or annoyance. Calmness is a great strength, and together with perseverance creates invincibility.

Of course, it is difficult to live without emotions, and fears and worries can undermine us from the inside and upset our mental balance. How to find inner harmony? Let's take a closer look at how to find inner freedom, minimize negative emotions, and find balance and tranquility in life.

Methodically squeeze out the slave drop by drop

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, in a letter to his colleague Alexei Suvorin, advised:

Write a story about how a young man, the son of a serf, a former shopkeeper, choirboy, high school student and student, brought up on honoring rank, kissing priests' hands, worshiping other people's thoughts, thanked for every piece of bread, was flogged many times, went to class without galoshes who fought, tormented animals, loved to dine with rich relatives, was a hypocrite to both God and people without any need, only out of consciousness of his insignificance - write how this young man squeezes a slave out of himself drop by drop and how he, waking up one fine morning, feels that it is no longer slave blood that flows in his veins, but real human blood...

Suvorin did not write the story, but the phrase became a catchphrase.

It is precisely squeezing slaves out of oneself drop by drop that is the only possible, reliable and effective strategy for gaining inner freedom. This process is not very pleasant, painful, since you have to tear out from the flesh of your consciousness the slavish attitudes and ideas about life that have firmly sprouted there. This is definitely not a comfortable walk along the seashore (as many imagine the process of personal growth).

Well, WHAT exactly to do is generally clear. And now, please, HOW exactly to “squeeze the slave out of yourself,” HOW to increase the level of internal freedom in yourself? Perhaps this is the question that interests the reader most of all. And perhaps I will disappoint him by saying that HOW is, in fact, the whole process of methodical and consistent (but unlike technical instructions) personal growth, regular work on squeezing out various kinds of blockages from your psyche. Yes, there are special techniques for this (access to them can be obtained, for example, within the framework of the School [of systemic development]), but the point is not in the techniques, but in intention and self-discipline. What good is a pistol if at the right moment there is no internal readiness to pull the trigger to shoot?

Harmony in human life

Harmony within oneself is the highest art, the ability to generate happiness, to remain calm in difficult situations.

Inner freedom is the awareness of the need to restore order in one’s soul; no one but a person can make him happy and free. Why do we feel a lack of freedom - conditions and way of life, restrictions of society, the opinions of parents and others? A feeling arises: you need to fight for freedom, defend the right to live by your own principles. The result is stress, neuroses, depression, anxiety.

What should I do? Stop proving, just live, everyone has their own truth, it is impossible to be good to everyone. Of course, it is difficult to abstract yourself from family and friends who can dictate their terms, propose or impose a solution to the issue. Politely thank you for your help, explain your choice, and in time they will understand. Often parents try to make their dreams come true with the help of their children, offering their ideals, while each person, an individual, should be able to choose a path in life.

How do people protect their inner freedom? There are several reactions - protest, evidence, counterarguments, refusal to cooperate. Feeling external pressure, the desire to impose an opinion, there is often a desire to challenge one’s position, to prove the opposite, to convince, we often strive to avoid influence, to refuse the help of an annoying salesman or relative.

Over the years, a realization comes: a person takes into account only information that is close to him and understandable. He rejects everything that is against his position in life, so disputes often end unproductively, everyone remains with their own opinion. A free person does not strive to prove his truth to every barking dog, but acts according to his ideals.

Personal harmony is associated with the ability to understand oneself, accept one’s pros and cons, and abandon self-criticism and accusations. We can make mistakes - this is normal, the main thing is to have a basic line of behavior. A confident person rarely doubts for a long time, knows what he is striving for, what brings joy and positive emotions. The barometer of happiness and correctness of actions is our internal state. When we act badly, we feel remorse. Good actions, results, interesting activities evoke enthusiasm and inspiration.

It would seem that everything is simple: you need to live according to your conscience and use your will to achieve your goals and realize your life mission. However, there are also emotions that interfere with happiness and peace of mind. Negative emotions include: resentment, anger, aggression, envy, despair. How can you learn to get out of a negative state and fill yourself with positive energy?

Harmony in the soul and life is impossible without self-regulation, the ability to manage emotions and thoughts. Usually we think that circumstances are the cause of emotions: disappointment, sadness, sadness, anger. But if you look closely, different people react in different ways to similar situations, which means we can choose emotions, a way of reacting. How? Controlling thoughts, directing them in the right direction.

In case of feeling negative emotions, it is worth understanding the reason for their occurrence, why do I think that this situation is worthy of sadness? What do I think about this? You can even write down your thoughts and perform an analysis. Most likely, internal attitudes and a negative attitude prevent you from objectively assessing the situation and seeing advantages and opportunities. It is important not to give in to emotions, but to make a decision - what is useful and what is harmful. Negative emotions undermine peace of mind and cause diseases on the physical level (Louise Hay). Therefore, experiencing anger, sadness, and envy is, at a minimum, harmful to health. It is better to cultivate acceptance of life, people, love for yourself and the world around you. Positive emotions give strength, inspiration for new achievements, and a feeling of happiness.

It is difficult to avoid negativity, but it is important to learn how to transform it into other energy. The following algorithm will help:

Realize the harmfulness of emotions - why do they help or hinder solving the issue? Understand the cause of the occurrence (thoughts preceding the appearance of an emotional reaction).
Find a refutation of negative thoughts, evidence of their groundlessness, adjust your consciousness to a different wavelength.
Use “anchors” that improve your mood: music, a walk, communication, humming a song. Everyone has their own ways of influencing mood.
Feel a neutral state first, and later a positive attitude towards life.

A person’s inner freedom is the ability to maintain a calm state of mind, refuse to take negativity to heart, and not allow external circumstances to disturb peace. Everything is fine, everything is going as it should. You can always find a way out, a solution. Calm, just calm.

Emotions and logical thinking often come into confrontation - it is impossible to worry and think at the same time. It’s better to turn on logic and turn off harmful emotions so that they don’t interfere with your life. Breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are also useful for self-regulation.

Harmony of life and love is the goal and dream of everyone. It often takes years and decades to realize and understand oneself. How to find inner harmony, learn to accept yourself, life, feel freedom?

I stopped chasing perfection

I am perfectly beautiful and beautifully imperfect, and that is what allows me to be myself.

Perfection is an illusion; it does not exist. I stopped exhausting myself with the pursuit of perfection, and now I strive for “good enough.” I have learned to accept my mistakes as a necessity that accompanies growth and makes me wiser. If I fail at something, it doesn't mean that I'm a failure, I just minded my own business. We either win or we learn. But we never lose.

“Every time you feel better, it’s like a patient recovering. Just do your best under any circumstances and you will avoid self-judgment, self-deprecation and regret." (Miguel Ruiz)

Basic principles of a harmonious life:

We choose our own lives - every day we have many opportunities and roads in front of us, and only we make decisions ourselves: how to act, react, what to say. Taking responsibility for your life makes it possible to feel your strength. A person is stronger than circumstances until they influence him. And positive thoughts and actions help to attract success and achieve what you want.
The ability to live now, to enjoy life - a free person living in harmony, knows how to live slowly, feeling every moment. It is useful to walk slowly, looking at plants, peering into the distance, and not constantly running, being late for the bus. It is also better to eat food, as in a restaurant, savoring the food, relaxing, enjoying the moment. Life is short, so why not allow yourself more joy? Live it at the highest level. Yes, the speed of life does not always allow you to take breaks, but they are necessary; during breaks between work you can go out, get distracted, look at the world with a fresh look, feel the moment, joy, and forget about worries.
The method of “switching”, self-regulation - to increase concentration and vital energy, it is useful to remember childhood or youth, the peak of energy, the state of success and joy, health. Immersion in pleasant memories evokes the necessary state of mind, inner mood. Pleasant pictures of the past or music that evokes positive associations also help to switch. (“Key method. Unlock your capabilities” Kh. Aliyev.)
Refusal of negative attitudes - a harmonious personality does not accumulate complexes or negative attitudes. It is important to learn to find advantages in yourself, use your strengths as much as possible, and find advantages in your weaknesses. Even people with physical disabilities and disabilities can be happy. It all depends on the inner feeling of the world, the ability to see the bright side of events, and the presence of fortitude. Giving up worries about the future and past will help you live in the present and fill your life with meaning. Most experiences are vain and groundless, no one knows the future, and the past is already part of history, bringing only experience and wisdom.
The ability to love oneself and life - a free and harmonious person accepts himself, understands, is open to the world and life. She does not wait for gifts of fate, the love of others, but she herself brings light and warmth - she knows how to support, understand, share joy and bitterness. Such people radiate love, kindness, attract good circumstances, become the life of the party, best friends.
A healthy body means a healthy mind - light physical activity increases vigor, improves overall health and mental stability. People who are fond of sports suffer less from stress and anxiety. Sport is a great way to release negative energy, switch to another productive wave, and increase overall energy. Even walking or running significantly improves your health and state of mind.
Having inner strength is a guarantee of a happy, harmonious life. A person’s inner freedom is the ability to be strong and confident, which does not allow one to succumb to manipulation. A harmonious person lives by his own judgments, does not follow the lead of others, and strives for his own goals. A free person does not impose his ideas, but knows how to resist pressure and is immune to influences and opinions.
The ability to forgive - a harmonious and free person does not accumulate resentment. For what? There are more important things to do than to be offended by someone and try to sort things out. There is a lot of beautiful and interesting things in the world, there are things to do and goals. Resentment takes away peace and leads to diseases and neuroses. It is important to be able to forgive yourself and others. Everyone has the right to make mistakes. Let go of grudges and move on with your life. Often people who criticize and blame themselves are unhappy and have lost peace.
Independence - to gain spiritual peace and joy, it is useful to develop your own assessment of life and actions. We often wait for the approval of society, the support of others, but it is more reliable to rely on ourselves, to be able to notice good actions and achievements. Man himself is his own salvation, he can elevate and overthrow his achievements. It is important to notice progress, successes, and mentally rejoice at every step forward. You shouldn’t even expect gratitude, just do good deeds.
Striving for dreams - for harmony it is important to be able to dream and set goals. Our ideas and aspirations are signals from the subconscious; we can achieve more if we put in the right effort. Most desires can be realized if you put aside fears and prejudices. It is important to learn to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. You can learn to sing, dance or play musical instruments at any age, master a new profession, and open up opportunities. The main thing is to think about how to realize your dreams, where to apply your abilities and talents? Inner freedom of a person is an achievable state that is compared to “reasonable egoism.” A person lives by his own interests and ideas, without harming himself or society. Quite the opposite - it helps, inspires, and is an example for others who have not yet found freedom. We wish everyone to find inner freedom and harmony in life!

Where to begin?

How to become free? What should you do first for this? Experts recommend analyzing the situation and determining why you cannot be free? There are several factors that make us addicted:

The presence of various fears and complexes. Most often, they make an individual insecure.
Dependence on other people's opinions. Often people live according to stereotypes that are accepted in society.
Financial well-being also plays a big role.
Lack of independence.
Avoiding the fight. As a result, a person cannot act decisively.

In addition, it is very important to always be yourself. Once the reasons that make us dependent have been identified, we should begin to work to eliminate them.

I stopped self-criticism

I pay attention to how I talk to myself. I don't call myself names, I treat myself with dignity and respect. I stopped telling myself things I would never say to a good friend. I am self-sufficient and self-worth.

I have come to understand that in life we do not get what we want. We get what we deserve according to our own opinion. That's why you need to believe in yourself and treat yourself as a person worthy of the best that life has to offer.

“You've been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn't worked. Try praising yourself and see what happens.” (Louise Hay)

I stopped making assumptions about what other people feel, want, or think.

I am not them, so there is no way to know what they feel or think.

I stopped playing out imaginary scenarios and letting my mind play tricks on me. Every time I find myself worrying about what other people are doing or saying, I think it's time to get back to reality.

Thanks to Byron Katie's book "Work", I learned to analyze the thoughts that bother me and ask myself: "Is this true?" Many of my assumptions are probably misleading. For example, I may assume that someone doesn't like me when in fact the person is just having a bad day. Or maybe the person is just shy. Always different.

The moment I realize that I cannot recognize someone else's thoughts simply because that person is not me, my mind clears and I can act with an open heart.

“I discovered that the undoubted causes of all the wars and all the truces in my little world were my assumptions.” (Byron Katie)

I stopped blaming others

Now I understand that every time I blame someone for something, I play the role of a victim. When blaming others for wasted time, wasted money, or injustice in love, I always think about what my contribution was to what happened. No one can harm me or upset me without my conscious (or unconscious) consent.

Instead, I now take responsibility for how I feel, think and how I act. I am responsible for my actions, and I know that my future will be the result of my choices today. I am everything I believe in and everything I want to be.

“All accusations are a waste of time. No matter how guilty others are, it won't change you. You can successfully make someone feel guilty, but it won't help you change the things about yourself that make you unhappy." (Wayne Dyer)

I stopped worrying about the future

I accept that there are things in life that I cannot control, no matter how much effort I put in. Every time I find myself worrying, I tell myself, “Time will tell.”

I may not always get what I want, but I know that I always get what I need. I trust the flow of life and want to believe that we live in an intelligent Universe where everything works out perfectly. Sometimes in life you have to wait.

"Easy life. Everything happens to you, and does not come from you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, not too early and not too late. You don’t like it…you do things just to make yourself feel better.” (Byron Katie)

I no longer feel the need to do something all the time.

Constantly rushing somewhere is not a sign of virtue . I've learned to listen to my body and I no longer feel guilty for not doing anything. I know that my body and my soul sometimes need a recharge, and I don't feel like I have to explain anything to anyone.

I watch good films, listen to calm music, read my favorite books, sing, walk in nature - I do everything that makes my heart sing.

“I am a person for life, not for work. Don't judge yourself by how well you do anything in your life. You are not the same as your deeds. Don’t think that if there is no work... then you are not.” (Wayne Dyer)