Am I being a key or a cage?
This is the question that I continually ask myself in regards to my own personal freedom, in regards to how I interact in my relationships, and in regards to my work in the world.
As I look around, I see a lot of us in cages. Both quite literally - too many people locked behind bars for being poor, for being immigrants, for being mentally ill - and metaphorically - too many people feeling trapped by the outer circumstances of their lives.
If the outer does indeed reflect the inner, then what questions do we need to ask ourselves to be free from the oppression locking us into lives that are not life giving and supportive of who we really are? How can we learn from the outer to free the inner? How can we learn from the inner to free the outer?
I once heard it said that every time someone triggers you emotionally, that trigger reflects a place inside you that is not free. As I hold this idea close, I have been learning so much from the words and actions that trigger me. I see the judgments I hold over myself and work to release them. It leads to a feeling of greater spaciousness within that allows me to open up to humanity, not to condone harmful behaviors, but to connect in a space of deep understanding from which positive action can happen. As I feel more free, I want to help others become more free and I am more acutely aware of those who are not.
It seems to me that true freedom is really freedom from the fear and victimization in our minds. This, in turn, frees the heart to live with the courage it takes to transform one’s world and the world. Being a key instead of a cage means unlocking the creative life force necessary to create a sustainable way of life that includes all people and the earth, transcending all borders and perceived limitations.
So are you being a key or a cage? The truth is we are all a mixture of both. But these times are calling us to take an honest assessment and embrace the unique way we are each equipped to free each other.