Claiming Spiritual Freedom, Finding Joy

Freedom is on a lot of people’s minds in the United States this time of year. It’s not uncommon to hear stories about freedom—about keeping it, defending it, feeling grateful for it, but not too much about really enjoying it. I had not thought much about the joy of freedom until I went to a carnival a few weeks ago.

I love carnivals—the bright neon lights glowing against a darkening sky, the rides that haven’t changed much since I was a kid, the food (not exactly healthy, but a fun indulgence here and there), and the general vibe of families and friends hanging out and having fun in the summer weather.

This year, amid the familiar sights and sounds, I noticed something else as I watched the rides. Some went fast, others slower, some looked fun, and others looked downright scary. I noticed the riders—from adults and teenagers to the smaller kids. Some shrieked, others giggled, and they all looked as though they were having great fun. More than that, they looked completely and joyously free.

I’m not one to raise my hands in the air as a carnival ride spins me wildly or sends me careening along a twisty track. But I can still relate to the joy of feeling so free.

The Joy of Spiritual Freedom

I’ll be honest. Sometimes I take this great gift of freedom for granted and sink into limited thinking—the idea that the world as I see it and my life as I live it are just the way they are, and there’s not much I can do about them.

My time at the carnival reminded me of those important moments in my life that I helped bring about through spiritual practices—meditation, prayer, and affirmations—to rise above my conditions and make positive changes beginning with changing my thoughts. Understanding that I could realize my dreams and I was not bound to what my life was showing me and feeling the world open to me in a new way was exhilarating, exciting, freeing, filling me with joy.

But here’s the thing: To feel that joy, I had to do what I saw those folks at the carnival do—push past fear, get on the ride, and let go. For them, there was freedom in raising their arms as they zipped through the air. For me, there was freedom in daring to claim a life greater than the one I had known. Either way, there is great exhilaration and joy in those declarations of freedom.

This is the freedom I encourage you to explore and enjoy. You are a spiritual being, free to choose your thoughts, change your consciousness, and create your life. And what joy there is in the freedom of creation, in the exercise of imagination, and in knowing at a deep level that anything is possible.

May you celebrate your capacity to enjoy feeling free, to celebrate one of the greatest gifts of spiritual living—the freedom to choose your thoughts and create your life.

This was a Daily Word editor’s letter. To subscribe to Daily Word, please visit https://shop.unityonline.org/subscribe.