“We are all self made but only the successful will admit it”
Earl Nightingale
The world around us is a reflection of our definitions about life and the world. Life is a mirror through which we see our thoughts and beliefs. A friend of mine said; “The worst form of bondage is not the physical prison but rather the prison of the mind”. We are all a byproduct of our own thoughts. We daily define ourselves by the choices we make and these choices are based on how we perceive the world and circumstances in which we find ourselves.
For most of us, our minds are nothing more than a well structured prison. In prison, you are not free to go where you want or live like you want because of physical barriers. For most of us, we are not free to go where we want or live where we want because of our mental barriers. The only limitation there is, is the one you have set for yourself. As we think so are we. We live the lives that we have come to embrace and anticipate in our mental faculties. Our lives are designed in the laboratory of our minds.
The principle of conditioning is not only limited to animals and pets but cuts across even to human beings. What we hear or see repeatedly forms a perception in our minds that we soon embrace as truth. Each of us spends countless hours having internal talks that are referred to as self talk. We battle within ourselves over so many different things. It is this internal talk that forms the mental barriers and limitations that we embrace. If you hear something over and over, you develop enough faith to follow through with whatever it is. And this faith is what propels us into the directions we choose to take in life.
“You don’t become in life what you want, you become in life what you are”. Les brown
Breaking free from one’s mental prison is not a walk in the park. You will have to work at it but the work can actually be fun and will be insignificant compared to the reward. It takes discipline, consistency and integrity. It starts with loving the person you see in the mirror every morning and that is your true self. Many of us have lived with masks for too long and have lost focus of who we truly are. We have embraced a false self and are trying so hard to keep up with it. This is a prison in itself and one that is self imposed. Taking some time to look within for who you truly are and connecting with yourself could be one of the most rewarding experiences you could ever have.
Sometimes our prisons are built on the foundation of other people’s views, perspectives and standards. We are a reflection of the company we keep. The people we entrust our lives with define us. As human beings we all have a deep need for acceptance and a sense of belonging. We can go to great length to meet these needs even when it means hanging around the wrong people and doing things that we inwardly detest and despise. Breaking from the mental prison of peer pressure is like swimming against the natural flow of the tides. It takes courage, confidence in oneself and one’s abilities. By changing your company and surroundings, you change the lenses through which you see life and yourself.
Embracing your true self is a life long journey that must be taken consciously and with a grain of consistency. As we embrace who we truly are, we embrace the true meaning and beauty of living. Live free of your prisons by being who you are and fulfilling what you are here for.
