Freedom or Prison

What is freedom and why is it important?

Here are a few definitions:

“The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.”

“Absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government.”

“The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.”

“The state of being physically unrestricted and able to move easily.”

I could go on but you get the point.

We are living in strange times.

We are extremely polarized and very much dug into sides.

I wish it wasn’t this way but it is what is for now.

There was a point where I thought we would come back together but unfortunately; I think that ship may have sailed.

I believe in personal freedom. People will ask me what side I am on and that is my answer. I am on the side of freedom.

I don’t want to infringe on anybody. Whatever you do is your business as long as it is not harming anyone else.

I have always been in the health and fitness business on some level my whole adult life and if you think about it, health is the ultimate freedom or prison.

There are always things that may be outside of your control but if you have taken good care of yourself most likely you will be free to enjoy life.

If you have not taken care of yourself more than likely you will have to deal with the consequences which lead to less freedom.

The above statements are very simple points yet many people try and complicate them.

We are in a pandemic and for the most part people that are healthy, if they caught Covid, were able to recover with little issue. 

The exact opposite were people that were overweight, more often than not they ended up in the hospital. 

The above example was a personal choice and the results speak for themselves.

Getting hit by a bus is not a personal choice for healthy people or unhealthy people, merely shitty circumstances that has nothing to do with freedom.

The reason I use this example is some people are making Covid that black and white as to what side you are on. If you don’t do it one way you will get hit by a bus, metaphorically speaking.

It’s just not that black and white and if we look at history it never has been, ever.

We live in a time where we have made unbelievable technological advances yet people are more miserable and on meds just to get through the day. You have to ask why rather than just complying.

What is going on that we are living in the best time possible yet people are miserable?

I don’t know the exact answer but I do know that when you look at history people that were free or fighting for freedom were happier overall (this doesn’t mean war or being physical i.e., civil rights movement). This has been discussed and studied from a historical and psychological perspective.

I think a part of it comes down to purpose and struggle.

When you have a purpose, you are willing to fight for what you believe in whether that’s for your family or anything bigger than you. It could be trying to build a family business. It could be inventing something new to help others. Or it could be defending your country from foreign invaders who want to enslave you.

I am not saying that no one has hardships anymore, but what people complain about today would have been laughed at 20-30 years ago.

If you are willing to trade security for freedom, at first it really doesn’t seem like a bad tradeoff. I am taken care of and don’t need to worry about having a roof over my head or having enough food. Sounds great, right?

Well, there is a dark side to that. Now if you want to better yourself that’s not an option because you traded that for what you have now that roof and food. This is where the meds come in.

Some people are ok with being spoon fed and some are not. You have to ask yourself where would we be if there was never any incentive to take risks and better ourselves?

I don’t think we would have all of the medical breakthroughs such as vaccines, antibiotics, and MRI machines.

There is a simple beauty in the struggle.

If we eliminate it, we are doomed.

We need the freedom to overcome the struggle.

If everything is done for us where is the freedom? It’s gone.

At that point you are only free to comply with the select few in charge making up the rules that are good for them.

This isn’t about right and left. 

It’s about how you want to live, free or in prison.