Meaningful Freedom: An Evolution

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
Albert Camus.

I still remember the day I left my corporate job as an international marketer for a large company. As I took the box containing my items, I said my last goodbyes to my friends and co-workers, to my office of five years, and even to the job title I worked so hard to earn.

I remember driving home and all these birds dancing together in front of my car as if the Universe was singing a song of freedom with me. I felt so free, so light like I had left behind the weight of the responsibility of working for a large corporation, the pressure of the title, and the layers of a business suit. 

Right then, I thought: I am finally free! There were so many emotions: 

• A sense of nostalgia
• Peace
• Excitement for the unknown. 

It was a big step for me. It took 15 years to happen, and it came after many experiences working for large corporations. I traveled to many countries, experienced several cultures, built teams, and made friends. There were also so many challenges.

Suddenly, it was just me; my name was no longer associated with a company, title, or routine. I told my husband that I wouldn’t work for a couple of weeks, and I didn’t. I played until playing became boring. 

Freedom almost became a job, and after a few weeks, I asked myself what do I do with this freedom? Inner guilt began to set in. That led me to create a vision for my company, a mission, a website, and a product. 

What freedom means

Years have passed, and I have learned that freedom is a state of being, a humbleness to the vastness of the Universe, a joy for the simple yet most profound of human experiences, like a smile, a hug, a sensual touch.

Freedom is a choice. From my perspective, it’s learning that just as I left my corporate job that day and became free from that responsibility. I can make that choice every day. The election is mine to have the Universe sing a song with me. 

I can choose to: 

• Be authentic
• Love me unconditionally in areas in my life where I don’t have all of it, together.
• Open new doors to life’s opportunities.
• Constantly reinvent myself. 

Freedom is an evolutionary process. It’s an evolution we want to share with others. Living my life in a constant state of freedom is far more complex than putting in a resignation letter.

Its complexity exists in the simplicity of the little and big choices that require courage to keep moving into a state of freedom. 

I knew others who left their corporate jobs, too. They told me that my actions inspired them… I was astonished! Everything was unexpected. I didn’t expect that at all. I honestly didn’t realize that my choice for freedom could inspire others to do the same. 

Now I aspire to live a life of meaningful freedom because I know that it comes with the responsibility of choice. Every day, I ask myself why I am doing what I am doing. What drives me? I had to evolve from a singular freedom to a freedom for the village, for the world. Yes, it starts with me, with you, with us.

Evolve towards freedom

I am free and I live in a state of meaningful freedom. Why? I am constantly evolving to use my freedom as my gift to the world—a creative gift meant to be shared with and inspire others. 

I thank God for the freedom as a gift I have received as my birthright.

A lot of what was behind my reason for staying at my corporate job so long was outside approval. That was the “why no” side of the argument. But what about my inner approval? I wanted a family, flexibility, and freedom of self-expression, and all of these mattered to me. 

I only moved to “why yes” when I stopped listening to the voices of others, after realizing why it mattered to me. When I stopped listening to the invisible voice of the “others,” my voice became clear, and I was finally ready to listen. 

Just one change of perspective, literally moving from one chair to the next, from a place of “why no” to one of “why yes,” I had an immediate transformation. And you know what? It still happens to me every day in some aspects of my life, from the small choices like where I am going to invest my time this week, to with whom I will partner.

Why meaningful freedom is an evolution

Sure, there are days when I think, “I should just go back to corporate. It will be easier. I’d have a paycheck and insurance plan.” So what’s the reason I continue working on what I am building? In my freedom journey, the reason I still say yes to it all is that the “it” really matters: 

• Sharing stories.
• Doing what we were born to do. 
• Honoring the work we love and living in a constant state of flow and joy.
• Self-expression matters.

Where can you start to experience meaningful freedom? By getting in touch with the essence of who you are: What is so natural to you that you hardly notice? Is there something you’ve wanted to do for many years and haven’t done yet? Create your path forward, and I will meet you on that path. Begin your evolution.

———

Virginia Nava Hieger is the author of Your Unique Gift: Finding Life’s Unique Gift Proposition and Meaningful Freedom: Finding Freedom Through Wholeness, two books aimed at empowering people on a journey of self-discovery, authenticity, wholeness, and personal freedom. 

As a Transformative Power™ guide, she believes each one of us has our source of inner strength and that we simply need the tools to reconnect with it to let our light shine back out into the world.  

Visit her site at www.thetransformativepower.com or get in touch. For a free ebook, email virginianava@thetransformativepower.com.