Freedom Doesn’t Mean What You Think—It’s an Inside Job

You remember being a kid, running barefoot in the backyard, feeling wild and alive, not caring what the neighbors thought of your muddy legs or silly laughter. Back then, freedom meant saying and doing what felt natural, playfully and without a mask.

Now, as an adult, you realize how much time you spend managing impressions: holding back a joke in class, quieting an opinion in meetings, picking clothes to disguise rather than express. You notice how much of your day is about staying in the lines, hoping for approval or avoiding rejection.

In a rare quiet moment, you wonder if freedom is less about having no responsibilities and more about having the courage to act on your true desires, even when it feels risky. You try a small action—like sharing an idea at work or choosing a lunch spot you like—and feel a rush of nervous satisfaction, a taste of that old openness.

Freedom, mindfulness experts say, is largely internal: the move from being steered by inherited expectations to acting from your own center. Every small choice to be authentic reconnects you to that sense of wildness you knew as a child.

Set aside a few minutes today to explore what freedom really means to you—is it about having fewer duties, or about being true to yourself in every situation? Notice places where you hesitate to speak or act out of fear of judgment, and try one small action that answers only to your own voice. Even if it feels uncomfortable at first, you’ll likely catch a glimpse of that fierce childlike energy. Hold onto that feeling, and let it guide you to more authentic actions tomorrow.