Freedom To or Freedom From?

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I wonder sometimes how well we understand what freedom actually is. In exploring this subject, one helpful distinction is to reflect on the phrases “freedom to” and “freedom from.” 

If this topic speaks to you, you may want to pause in reading this and take two minutes to write those two phrases at the top of a piece of paper. Then underneath them, write as many words as capture what you want in your work and life. To take the next step, mark the words or phrases in each column that are the most important to you right now.

Which column is longer? Which one is more meaningful to you? I would be grateful if you would share your thoughts and reflections in the comments below.

I recently read the letters that a wise man wrote in his old age to his sisters. In one of them, he writes:

The prerequisite for the experience of true freedom is not to have dominion over anyone and for no one else to have control over you. Every man inevitably forfeits his freedom as soon as any power over any one of his fellows manifests itself in him. The aspiration to dominate is itself the consequence of an inner enslavement. In enslavement there is no love.

He says that true freedom is freedom from dominion, control, and the expression of power—both that which we have over others, and that which others have over us. He asserts that we lose our freedom when this power gets expressed in us. Finally, he says that the desire to dominate and control comes from an inner enslavement. This is sobering when I consider the bitter irony that a desire for a “freedom to” can sometimes involve a desire for power or control.

Perhaps one can sum up that “freedom to” is often about our will, our wants or desires, and our power to effect them. “Freedom from,” on the other hand, seems to be more about our experience of life, more existential.

If you want to experience more freedom in your life, I welcome the opportunity to engage in a supportive, constructive conversation with you. I extend the same offer to those of you who may not be sure what to do with the freedom you have. After all, what we do with the freedom we enjoy can be greater than freedom itself.

To Move or Not to Move?

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We move faster, farther, and more frequently today than ever before in human history. Sometimes relocation happens by necessity, but often it is by choice. Perhaps it is for new work or what seems like better work. Some move to be closer to family. Whatever the reason, moving is commonplace, especially among young adults.

But what is commonplace today may not necessarily be the best way.

Long before we built moving vans or airplanes, there was a man named Anthony who lived alone in a desert. He is sometimes called the father of monks, as he was one of the first. He said once to a visitor who came to ask for his advice, “In whatever place you live, do not easily leave it.”

Why? Perhaps Anthony’s point was that we carry our personal issues with us wherever we go, and that location does not solve our most critical internal problems. Or perhaps he was asserting that there are very few things more beneficial to us than the relationships we have with those around us, which take time to develop. I think both are true.

So does that mean we shouldn’t move?

Not necessarily. Each of our lives and environmental contexts are unique. There are no easy answers.

There was another desert monk named Evagrius who clarified Anthony’s guidance. Evagrius concluded that the most important stability to seek was not the geographical kind. Rather, it was settling one’s thoughts in the remembrance of God, which of course is a monk’s main purpose. Sometimes, a place would become unsuited for this pursuit. In such a circumstance, it was best to leave it, for the place no longer supported the primary purpose of the monk’s life. If you’re reading this, you’re probably not a monk, but that doesn’t mean their wisdom is irrelevant.

Should you move away or should you stay? It depends:

Does the place support the primary purpose of your life?

It’s a question we would do well to ask and answer throughout our lives, for everything in this world changes—people, places, relationships. Whether you’re facing the prospect of relocation or working to clarify purpose in your life or work, I welcome the opportunity to engage with you in these important conversations.