freedom is a consequence

Leo Tolstoy once said, "Freedom cannot be achieved by looking for it, but by looking for truth. Freedom should not be a purpose, but a consequence." Wow!

I used to yearn for freedom -- in fact, I still do -- but now I can admit that back then I didn't really know what freedom was. Sure, I wanted to be free from the need to work for someone else, so I thought starting my own business would give me freedom. And I wanted to be free from want, so I thought accumulating goods would give me freedom. But I still wasn't free -- owning a business means you're still working for others, just a different set of others. And having possessions often restricts your freedom; George Carlin's rant about "stuff" rings true!

The freedom I have today has come as a result of self-examination, recognition of how my instincts have often led me astray, and how my deepest desires are not material but spiritual. In seeking the truth about myself (which is hard work), I have been set free from not only disordered attachments but also from patterns of behavior that enslaved me.

Seeking truth about myself led me to seek capital-T Truth, something absolute and beyond mere opinion. True freedom came when I abandoned myself to absolute Truth, when I relinquished control of anyone and anything, and sought only to embrace Truth more fully. Today, I don't have to work -- I get to work. There's a huge difference.

Tolstoy was right.