Those of you who have read my book will remember the important point that I made early on in Part One:
“If free will is the ultimate gift to enable self development and growth, then an open mind is the ultimate tool to unlock the treasure chest in which that gift is hidden.”
With free will and an open mind you have the vital ingredients required to live the life you love.
Let’s explore these concepts – and why I say this – in more detail.
[box type=\”shadow\”]“What people have the capacity to choose, they have the ability to change.”
― Madeleine Albright[/box]
Free Will
In the 20 Life Insights that I shared with you in my previous post I chose the following ‘universal law’ to head the list:
“We live in a no holds barred, free will universe. Everything is allowed and everything is possible. Do whatever you wish and aspire to whatever you want.”
I added a caveat to this statement, which I will refer to later.
Freedom to choose
Do you believe in a loving creator, yet struggle to understand why some of the unsavoury things that happen on earth fail to attract divine intervention?
The answer lies in the fact that we live in a free will zone.
We are all, by design, free to do whatever we choose and live life however we choose. Intrinsically this freedom to choose is the best gift anyone could possibly wish for.
How wonderful!
Or at least it would be wonderful, if everyone could respect the right of everyone else to exercise their free will.
The need for boundaries
Of course, none of us exist in a vacuum. We interact with each other on a daily basis, therefore it is necessary to establish boundaries for what does and what does not constitute acceptable behaviour in our communities.
The decision as to what does and does not cross the line lies, not in the hands of our creator, but firmly in the hands of mankind … and that’s where the difficulties arise.
Every person on this planet is unique (thankfully … just imagine the alternative!) Each of us can lay claim not only to a different DNA makeup but also to a different upbringing, a different education and a different array of life experiences. As a result, each of us will embrace a different belief system.
Here’s where things get interesting.
Imagine that for some reason you wanted to exert power or control over someone or some group. What would be the most effective way you could do that?
The answer is simple …
By influencing or manipulating their belief systems to suit your agenda and by closing their minds to the authenticity or acceptability of holding alternative beliefs!
Here’s my point.
What we choose to believe forms part of our unique identity. But our beliefs are not always formed from our own completely objective thoughts. They are often carefully moulded by others who have a vested interest in having us pursue certain political, economic, cultural or religious agendas.
I wrote earlier of a caveat to the ‘universal law’ relating to free will.
Given that billions of us need to coexist on this planet, it goes without saying that there has to be some boundary regarding the exercising of free will or our lives would descend into chaos.
At the same time, how do we prevent our free will from being infringed by those who seek to control or manipulate us for their own ends?
There’s a simple answer:
“The only boundary is that you must not infringe or detract from the ability of others to exercise their own free will.”
The importance of an open mind
Imagine living in a world where you were free to live and experience life exactly the way you wanted to live and experience it, with the only caveat being that you could not do anything that would detract from anyone else’s ability to do the same?
On the face of it that sounds wonderful, I’m sure you’ll agree. In fact I believe this was the exact intention of our creator.
In practice it would require you to exercise great tolerance for the differing values, beliefs, actions and behaviours of others.
In simple terms it would require you, not to renounce or discard your own belief system, but to ‘soften it’ or open your mind to the fact that what others choose to believe is as valid for them as what you choose to believe is valid for you.
In my book, A Boerewors Roll for the Soul – awaken to the magic of the life you love, I talk about how our creator, in bestowing the gift of free will upon us, provided us with clues about the importance of keeping an open mind.
All it takes is to look up on a cloudless night and spend some time thinking deeply about the meaning of the magical and mysterious scene that you are confronted with.
It’s not simply a form of wallpaper to make us feel comforted, it is an incomprehensively gigantic cosmos filled with mind bendingly strange and wondrous things.
The message to me is clear. Everything is possible and nothing is quite what it seems.
A reminder from our source
For me it’s like a constant reminder from our source:
“You have been gifted the free will to be, do and have anything you wish, complete with the tools to make the life you want a reality. To access this gift you need to have an open mind, always tolerant and respectful of others and their equal right to access that gift.”
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Thank you again for your insights, I think that a person must realize that with freedom comes not only responsibility but also accountability, in other words the buck stops here.
You have ultimate freedom of choice, but each choice you make has consequences and you should be aware of these consequences, as far as possible, before making that choice.
I think that sometimes, the unknown factor is that we are unable to comprehend the consequences completely, before we act.
Do you think that consequences should be our guiding light or is the goal itself reason enough to act?
Thank you Dirk. You ask a fascinating question.
I see two sides to this.
Firstly it is important to know and understand the obvious consequences of a choice, especially insofar as that involves affecting others. But secondly, you cannot know with certainty all of the consequences that are associated with making a choice because a lot will depend on the actions you take and the attitude you have. This should not stop you from making a choice that you intuitively know is right for you.
Being involved in life coaching I see, far too often, people resisting making choices and taking actions because of fear of the perceived consequences, forgetting that the actual consequences are often within their control.
I hope this makes some sense 🙂
This is very much in line with spiritual practices that are non judgmental, non-prescriptive, accepting all for who they are, and not trying to force our views onto them. This gentle approach leads to more harmony between people, greater understanding. Wouldn’t the world be a fabulous place if we could all aspire to open mindedness and acceptance of each other?
Indeed 🙂 Thanks Cherri.
Thank you as always I enjoy reading your messages. A few years ago I came across a creed, the part that resonated with me is ” Do as ye will, but harm none” I incorporated this into my personal creed.
Simple yet powerful. Thanks Theressa!
An inspiring message, Bill. There is a strong connection between free will, open mindedness, choice, consequence and responsibility. Respect for others is crucial to living in harmony. Utopia would be if everyone followed this philosophy – God (your Higher Power) first, then others then self.
Thanks for your comments Karen.
I have no problem in the concept of ‘putting yourself first’ as long as in doing so you in no way detract from or cause harm to others. In other words being self-centred without being self-ish 🙂
Bill, where can I buy your book?
Hi Sharon, thanks for your interest.
Please click here:
http://www.life-coach-training-sa.com/a-boerewors-roll-for-the-soul.html
Dear Bill,
Many thanks for this very good explanation on having an open mind and free will! It is one of our responsibilities, as Life Coaches, to find the right keys to open the minds of our clients! Clearly, there will be slightly different keys for different people and we need to exercise patience and perseverance in order to ‘cut’ the right key each time! 🙂
All the best,
Neil
Nicely put – thanks Neil!