“I am free, and always have been; free to accept my own reality, free to trust my perceptions, free to believe what makes me feel sane even if others call me crazy, free to disagree even if it means great loss, free to seek the way home until I find it.” – Martha Beck quotes –
More often than not, I like Martha Beck quotes, and I like what this one has to say. I am no stranger to great loss and I’m sure people have thought me “crazy” for seeking out what keeps me sane, i.e. walks by the river even when it rains. But in my own way, I am in the process of finding my way home, to that deepest part of me. The part that doesn’t need approval. The part that truly believes I am a good enough person/writer/friend at this moment. Yes, I believe that awareness is true freedom.
Thoughts? Comments? Do you consider yourself “free”? I hope so. May we all find our way “home,” wherever that might be.
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The Secret Sense of Wildflower: audio book available here.
Dear Susan–I have not found my freedom, yet. Last night I finished a fabulous book, beautifully written, that touched me deeply. This novel is inspiring and I hope it will set me on the right path toward letting go. The name of this book is “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” written lovingly by Rachel Joyce. Please treat yourself to this experience.
I would like to discuss it with you. Wishing you well. Mary
Hi Mary,
I wish you moments of grace as you find your freedom and move toward letting go. It sounds like it’s a big moment for you. Thanks for telling us about the book. Perhaps it will inspire others, too.
All the best,
Susan
I fully understand your desire to see yourself on your own terms, and I concur. However, there are different ways one can look at oneself, and one shouldn’t employ self-satisfaction to the extent of not trying to improve. Michelangelo was, there’s no doubt, someone whose accomplishments few of *us* will equal, yet he was not pleased with himself and as you probably know, painted himself into his own Last Judgment, and he wasn’t being judged as one of the good ones. Some of the best people are never satisfied. Bach summed up his life with this understatement: I worked hard. (!) Quite the contrast to today’s self-satisfied and smug entertainers who know four chords and think they’re gods because of it.
It’s good to love who you are, but never lose sight on being even better is what I’m saying. Then you’ll love yourself even more! 🙂
Haven’t read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, but it sounds a lot like something William Trevor would write!
And may I make my own recommendation?: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400043131/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER. What a terrific writer! Some of the best prose I’ve read since, well, Deborah Eisenberg.
Have a good one.
Oh, and I should add that being compared to William Trevor is high praise. See, I’m not free because I can’t write like William Trevor yet. I won’t even contemplate Deborah Eisenberg!
Hi Susan,
Oddly enough, on this very 1 May 2013, I am very “Free”, and happier than I have ever been. I move onto a big barge today, to begin life on the water again. It’s like being born again to me. We gestate in water in the womb, so water is an important part of our existence. On a boat on the Seine in France. A dream come true. today, I know without doubt that I shall realize all my wishes and dreams whilst on this short journey called life, moment by precious moment.
We set ourselves “Free”, and when we do, love comes to us in abundance through the door of acceptance and we feel at peace with everything and everyone who comes into our frequency to vibrate there for awhile. I love your blogs. Keep them coming.
Trélys
This post has evoked some interesting comments. Hop over to my facebook page if you want to see more, including one rant from a friend about assault weapons. How he made the leap from freedom to assault weapons, I’m not entirely clear.
This quote by Martha Beck appealed to me because I can’t imagine ever being “self-satisfied” or “smug.” I work hard. I lean toward perfectionism. I would like to relax a bit. Freedom isn’t about getting complacent about my work or my life. It’s about being ok with how things are this very second, today.
I love this mantra of Martha Beck’s. I claimed my freedom when I enlisted in the Navy at age 18…gave it away for 25 years to a undeserving husband, and reclaimed it in 1977 in a court of law. I have never given it away again. Though I remarried, I did not have to give up being ME. I accept my own reality and trust my perceptions. Some people think I’m crazy…their opinions don’t live at my address. I’ve disagreed despite losing a friend or two, but I’ve stuck to my own principles. And, thankfully, I’ve found my way home! Free at last…Free at last! Thank God Almighty!
Nancy
Trelys: France!! ENVY! The land where people know how to live. My novel’s last scene is set there–in Shakespeare’s Bookstore, to be exact.