Uncovering Freedom
What is freedom for you? It could be; financial freedom to spend your time on your terms, personal freedom to express yourself without the pressure of your friends and family, social freedom to escape the judgments placed on you by religion, culture, race, age, or sex… In my opinion, when it comes to freedom there is no compromise. Freedom is all of the above and beyond. Freedom is to live your own life the way it makes you happy without harming anyone around you.
Freedom is a necessity, like food, water, and shelter. Despite the 'free' in freedom, it comes with a cost. It's almost the end of 2022, yet, we still have to fight and sacrifice a lot to earn our basic rights, needs, and freedom. You could be fighting like the strong women in Iran for the freedom to wear what you want. You could be fighting for national freedom like people in Ukraine, or you could be fighting for economic freedom to provide education, health, and a safe space for your family like most people in third world countries. You could be fighting against the restrictions and limitations generated by your race, you could be fighting for respect to freedom to love in your way, you could be fighting the system and law for your freedom of speech, etc. Whatever you're fighting for, don't stop! Use the deadliest weapons you've got to fight for, use your voice and your heart. Never settle for the freedom that people think is enough for you. Never let anyone tell you; what to wear, what to say, what to think, how to feel.
Even though the last time I studied a bit of physics was 12 years ago, and I wasn't great at it, I still know that a great deal of pressure leads to explosions. While someone like me with an art degree can understand the most basic structure of life, why do so many choose to ignore or reject this? If you pressure strong women for years to wear what you want them to or think and act the way you believe is right, you should expect an explosion of rage and resistance. You can not force feelings and behaviors on yourself or others and pray that their wont be a counteraction because there will always be a reaction.
So, what can we do? To start simple, we should always listen to our loved ones and respect their way of happiness. This can sometimes be tricky. Just because something makes us happy, doesn't mean it will make our loved ones happy, so we have to accept that and support them. Next, we should respect the community we live in, and find beauty in differences rather than hate. And lastly, we should always speak up! Not just for our own rights and freedom, but for others too.
*All of the text above is based on personal thoughts and experiences. Please don't view it as professional facts or suggestions.*