The two levels of freedom

Freedom is a right. But it is also a responsibility.

The first level is “freedom from.”

This is the freedom that we often aspire to have. We want to be free “from” something. We want to be free from discrimination, from social injustice, or, at least, from corporate slavery.

We want freedom from other people’s control, from habits that strangle us, or even from sin that shackles us.

But then, what’s next? After you acquire that kind of freedom, what will you do next?

The problem with the first level of freedom is that, once we have it, we often do not know how to use it, let alone responsibly.

The abuse of this level of freedom can even diminish the freedom of others and even our own.

Take freedom of speech for example. In many countries today, including our own, we are fortunate to have freedom of speech. We are free to voice out our ideas, our concerns, our principles, our ideals, and our beliefs.

But sometimes, we abuse our freedom of speech by bashing, trolling, and spreading hate against those whose beliefs and ideals are different from ours. We abuse our freedom of speech by restricting the freedom of others, by silencing them.

The deeper level of freedom is “freedom for.”

Freedom “for” something is what gives our freedom purpose. It completes our freedom. And with the right purpose, we can properly and responsibly use our freedom, not only for our own benefit, but also for others’.

Why do you want to be free? For what good will you use your freedom? For whom do you want to be free?

If you use your freedom of speech “for” justice, for equality, for self-giving love, for the truth, or for God, your freedom has purpose. It not only allows you to express your beliefs, it also empowers and encourages others.

Freedom is a right. But it is also a responsibility.

Do you want to be free from something? Be free for something.

Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts. (St. Irenaeus)

The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to “the slavery of sin.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph No. 1733)

For freedom Christ set us free. (Galatians 5:1)

A person who will not allow you to quit

You need that person in your life. 

A person who will encourage you.

A person who will pick you up when you fall.

A person who will hold you accountable.

A person who will tell you not just want you want to hear, but also what you need to hear.

On the verge of quitting writing and just focusing on my day job, my wife wouldn’t allow me to. She encouraged me and helped me stand up once again. But, she is also holding me accountable. She tells me things that I need to hear, even when some of them hurt.

Do you have that person in your life? Do you have a person who encourages you and holds you accountable at the same time?

We all need that person in our lives.

Trapped in your circumstances

Do you feel trapped in your circumstances?

Do you feel trapped in a job that you don’t like or in your family problems or in the struggles of your everyday life?

Sometimes, we feel trapped because we see our problems and our circumstances in a place of isolation.

That’s a terrible place to take a look at our problems. It can be dark, it can be bleak, and it may seem hopeless.

When you’re feeling trapped, sometimes, you just have to get out from your confinement and isolation. 

Go out. Take a walk or a commute. Observe other people. Talk to a friend. Or better yet, listen to a friend. 

See your problems from the outside. 

More often than not, you’ll see that your problems are small compared to what other people are going through every day.

More often than not, you’ll see that your circumstances are actually better than how you see them in confinement and isolation. 

Go out more. 

P.S. Yes. Working from home, I really need to go out more and to get away from my own head and negative thinking. 

Don’t let fear catch up to you

Outrun your fears.

When you have momentum, you are like a speeding train that is impossible to stop.

Your doubts, uncertainties, and fears cannot stop you because they cannot catch up to you.

When you consistently take action, when you consistently move forward, fear cannot catch up.

I rested from blogging when I got sick four weeks ago. Then, I got sick again just after a week. Then, one of our valuable team members left our company a few weeks ago and things got busy again at work.

Without momentum, my doubts and fears caught up to me.

As I start writing again, I am gripped by my fears. What if I fail my readers through my inconsistency and my lack of commitment (again)? What if I get discouraged along the way (again)? What if things get too busy at work (again)? 

As I try to move forward, I have a lot of what ifs to which I don’t have answers.

But for now, all I can do is to keep on writing, to keep on working so that my fears can no longer catch up.

Are you being gripped by your doubts and fears? Keep working until they can no longer catch up to you.

You can outrun your fears by outworking them.

Be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

P.S. When you have a relationship with God that you consistently nurture, you do not give your fears any room to grow. You can also conquer your fears with the Lord.

Listen to your body

Sicknesses are our bodies’ way of shouting at us that something is already very wrong.

Last Wednesday night, I caught a fever. My fever lasted until Friday morning that’s why I wasn’t able to post last Friday. (Excuses, excuses.)

Whenever I have a fever, even a mild one, my temperature is always at the range of 38.5 to 39 degrees Celsius that I can feel the heat in my eyes. It also feels like the back of my head wants to break away from the rest of my head.

Whenever I have a fever, I really cannot do much but lie down and rest.

I do not take any medicine when I am sick because I believe that our bodies have what it takes to heal itself. (This is called antibodies. Nah, just kidding. I think it takes more than just our antibodies to fight diseases. Or, do they?) But, I take a lot of fluids to flush out any toxins and eat a lot of fruits to give my body the vitamins that can support it in healing itself.

The downside of this is that I do not get the temporary relief that paracetamols give every four hours. When I used to take paracetamol, my temperature would go down for a while giving me relief from my headache.

Because of my headache, I just take some time off my busyness and listen to my body.

Sicknesses are our bodies’ way of shouting at us that something is already very wrong. When we don’t regularly listen to our bodies by ignoring early signs of diseases or by not eating healthy food, not exercising, or not getting enough sleep, they shout.

When I am sick, I have no choice but to listen to my body. I am already in pain so I really need to figure out how to make the pain go away. I ask myself why I got sick. Maybe I caught a virus or I have an infection. Then, I go deeper. Maybe I caught a virus or an infection that my body had a hard time fighting because my immune system was weak. Maybe I am not eating right. Maybe I am not sleeping enough. Maybe I am not exercising enough. Maybe I am overworked or stressed out. (Or maybe I am overthinking... like always.)

When we listen to our bodies, we do just not look for ways to alleviate our pain now. We also look for ways on how we can avoid pain in the future by strengthening our immune system by eating healthier, sleeping better, exercising more, and dealing with stress better.

When I am sick, I also take the opportunity to listen to my soul. I may be overworked because I am working too hard for material things, for things that are not really necessary like gadgets or video games. (Nooooo!) Maybe I am working too hard not just because I want to provide for my family, but also to show others that I am finally making it in my career after years of struggling. Or maybe I am sick because of hopelessness or despair.

A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

Finally, when I am sick, I take the time and opportunity to pray, to listen to what God has to say. I ask Him why He allowed me to get sick. In a podcast that I listened to, a priest shared that God has two wills: a divine will and a permissive will. (More on these in a later post.) Getting sick is a permissive will that God allows us to go through so that we can seek Him and listen to Him more.

Sometimes, He allows us to be sick so that we can have the privilege to participate in His passion and suffering. Sometimes, He allows us to be sick so that we can empathize with our brethren who are also sick. Sometimes, He allows us to be sick so that others can find hope, encouragement, and love from our sicknesses, just like how we find love and hope in the passion and resurrection of Jesus. And sometimes, God is just telling us to slow down.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church. (Colossians 1:24)

Don’t get me wrong. You also need to take your medicine. When you have a really high fever, you have to take your medicine. Medicines are a gift to mankind as well.

But sometimes, we must not just kill the symptoms by popping a pill. We also have to listen to the cries of our bodies and souls.

What do you do when you are sick?