Recently I had come across this story which I had mentioned in a couple of other articles and I thought it is worth talking about it again.

A tinsmith, who was wrongly imprisoned, escaped from prison. After his innocence was proved the person who imprisoned him asked how he managed to escape. The tinsmith responded that it was all about the design. His wife was a weaver and she learned the design of the prison’s lock and had woven the design on the rug that he used for his prayers. The tinsmith understood the design and with some tools, he got from the jailers he made a key to open the lock.

Now, why do I talk about this story? On this Republic Day when I think about it, our nation has come a long way. After having withstood different forms of government we are now the largest democracy. All of this was possible because our leaders were able to understand the design of the country and fought for its independence. Collectively they designed a key that opened the lock for us to be an independent nation.

On this Republic Day when I think about it, our nation has come a long way. Our leaders were able to understand the design of the country and fought for its independence. Collectively they designed a key that opened the lock for us to be an independent nation.

Becoming independent was only a part of it. The next major step was to sustain that freedom and develop a system in a way that we can create a harmonious environment where all of us can coexist with our uniqueness and individuality. The system had to take into account the various facets of the society and ensure all aspects were balanced.  A system that will help us, guide us towards our larger vision as a nation. Our constitution, a blueprint of how India can lead her life, came into effect on 26 January 1950.

A nation is a collection of states, cities, towns, villages, homes, and people. The smallest unit of a nation is an individual. So, for a nation to be truly liberated every individual of the nation should feel liberated.

 At this point I want to pause for a minute and invite you to reflect on the following questions:

• Do you really enjoy this freedom?
• Are you truly liberated?
• Do you have your blueprint ready?

True liberation or freedom is when you are able to be your own self. You do things because you want to do it (of course within the realm of what is legally and socially permissible) not because you have to please others; you take care of your own needs and not compromise your own interests and desires; you feel worthy of yourself irrespective of your success and failures and not wait for others validation.  True liberation is when you can enjoy that state of bliss you once enjoyed as a newborn when your happiness came from within and not based on external factors when you could live your life the way you want and not just enact the life script written by someone else.  True liberation is when you can take control of your life.

We need to move past the roadblocks in our lives and find the key to liberate ourselves. The secret here is that the roadblocks we face which are the locks are created by us, and solutions which is the key, is also found by us. 

Is it even possible, given the complex, ambiguous, volatile context we all live in? The very thought at times is stressful that you don’t want to think about it. As a result, you lead a life of compliance and conformity. You do things because everyone else is doing it. Even if you do step out of your comfort zone to do something new the first roadblock sends you back to the familiar comfort zone. You go into a shell and protect yourself and settle down for a so-called “normal” life. It is so-called normal because for outsiders it may be normal but for you internally there is a sense of emptiness as if you were missing something.

So what is the lock that you need to work on and where can you find the key to liberate yourself? The lock is you and the key is you.

You need to understand your inner self so you can use that insight to open up and be yourself. Your blueprint is simply the awareness that you need to gain about your true self so you can be the architect of your life.

Your blueprint should consider all facets of your self – Spiritual, Emotional, Logical, Fitness (Physical/Mental). When you understand this design then you can (re) discover your life purpose and (re) define your values systems to help you navigate your life. You can (re) look at your beliefs and achieve a growth mindset to overcome your nightmares and achieve your dreams.

Here are a few pointers for you to consider before you take your next step:

• Take a look at your current reality and compare it with the blueprint that you once created for yourself. What do you want to do for the rest of your life?

• Find the innermost emotion that drives you. What are you excited about?

• List down your beliefs about you, others, and the world. Are these limiting you or enabling you?

• Write down your values and see how and where you are demonstrating these. How are these guiding your decisions in life?

All these are possible only if you choose to act. No matter what your intention is if you don’t take that action then your intention remains an unfulfilled dream.

A journey of thousand miles starts with a single small step. So what is your next small step?

Also read: 5 questions you can ask yourself every day

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