Written by: Opal O. Murray, Life Coach
HOLLYWOOD – Emancipation! A powerful word that creates images of physical freedom. Images of being victorious. Images of being free from bondage imposed by others. We have images of the Israelites coming out of Egypt.
We think of the Africans in the Americas being declared free by proclamations written by the Europeans who enslaved them. Some of us may think of the opportunity to live in our own homes or drive our own vehicles. Maybe, even dreams of creating our own businesses. But what happens when we imprison ourselves in our minds? How do we free ourselves when we extinguish our own lights and restrict ourselves to self-created concepts of limitations and self imposed bondage? What happens when we chain ourselves to paths that destroy us and dishonor our divinity?
In Redemption Song, Bob Marley pleads with us to “Emancipate ourselves from mental slavery.” He reminds us that “None but ourselves can free our minds.” Our minds – the first and final frontiers! We know that ‘thoughts held in mind produce after their kind.’ As we think so are we!
We know this, yet we become bonded to jobs that make us ill. We imprison ourselves by enrolling our children in programs that have us in a state of busy-ness seven evenings each week. We lock ourselves in rooms where mirrors show the faces, bodies, income and material gains of them, those and they. In these rooms we compare ourselves and find ourselves guilty of not having or doing enough of what we desire or having and doing too much of what we do not desire. We chain ourselves to relationships that hurt or mind, body, soul or all of the above. We become despondent, tired, sick, agitated and irritated; going to bed angry and lifeless; opening our eyes drained; continuing a spiritless journey, we call life.
Emancipate yourself! Free your minds! Napoleon Hill tells us to “Think and grow rich!” Over 2000 years ago Jesus of Nazareth told us that we become what we think. We have the power to break the chains and open the doors of the prisons where we have tucked away our minds and therefore our life. The same key – our minds- that we used to imprison our light and our purpose must now be used to open the lock and let our light shine as bright as the midday sun..
My family, it is now time for us to stand up and look ourselves in the eyes – the window to our souls- and declare “From this day forward my soul, mind and body will be free. I will be free to accomplish my divine purpose!” Our world is weeping and if there was ever a time for healing, it is now! An enslaved person, a fearful person cannot be a healer. We need free persons who see only possibilities and who can see clearly the connectedness of all life. Only one with an emancipated mind can co-create the healing that we now need to thrive.
It will take each of us to make this declaration for ourselves. The government cannot proclaim this with any law, neither can the United Nations. Our rabbis, imams, priests, ministers, pastors, Way Showers or Truth Tellers cannot preach it into us. Our parents, spouses, children, family or friends cannot will it to us.
Neither can our ancestors nor our descendants place it inside our minds. It is our choice, each of us must decide on our own. Each of us must be willing to drop the shackles of revenge, greed, hurt, anger, materialism, power, insecurity, fear, perceived poverty, superiority, inferiority, jealousy, war mongering, un-forgiveness and intolerance to emancipate ourselves.
Let us work to unblock the flow of our creativity. Let us create the intent to release the life force that is within us – the force that is yearning to manifest itself in all its glory. By freeing this natural flow we free ourselves of dis-eases and give others the motivation to free their flow. Then we will be like trees planted by the river of life. We no longer feel we must control the flow but we rest in the knowing that we each flourish in the arena where the living water flows freely. We now bask in the fullness of the light not believing that it is our duty to criticize or judge others but knowing that we must let our light shine. It is only in freeing ourselves and sharing our bright light that we can truly live – live abundantly! Not just to survive but to thrive! But first, we must free our minds. We will do so because we can and we deserve it!
“Know that you are vast and significant
deserving of all the good things that life has to
offer and life will always be at your fingertips.” Lao-tzu
