The path to freedom

I find myself questing and dreaming with Freedom and the question "do we really know its full essence?"  The dictionary tells our minds that:

“Its the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants.”
AND
“Its the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.”

Yet someone might claim ‘freedom’ and be committing atrocious acts; the definition can call to ego and to selfishness. True Freedom feels to be an interconnectedness with all beings.  It is not a singular occupation. Many of us assert our ego and our ‘right’ to be.  
 
If I sit with Freedom, it feels at its core as an internal state of being – to start with.  It is not necessarily related to external happenings.  Sure financial freedom is nice and physical freedom is a huge bonus yet without freedom at your core, they become meaningless and less potent.

So do I feel free to be honest with myself, with my dream, my family and loved ones?  Do I imprison parts of myself to fit in to society or do I revel in the jewels of myself?  Can I resonate this place of Freedom with all that are around me?

As  Mandela said : "For to be free is not merely to cast off one`s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

He also said that "There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires."  

May we each find our path to Freedom.