It is interesting to notethat most of society is free. There is a percentage of the populousthat is incarcerated for crimes against society. So too, are therepeople who live in political cultures that do not value the freedomof its' people. Nevertheless, the majority of the people in theworld live in relative freedom. They can choose whom they marry,what they do for a living, and where they live. Most societies allowtheir people to move around freely without restraint. As long as anindividual is obeying the laws, that person has wide latitude inconduct.
The freedoms offered bygovernments are physical freedoms that all its' law abiding membersenjoy. However, many operate in a “prison like” atmosphereregardless of what they are given. This prison does not exist on thematerial plane. Rather, it is a creation of the mind. It ismanufactured from an individual's belief system. These beliefsbecome people's jailers.
Most will tell you thatthey can think for themselves. To suggest that they are incapable ofcreating their own ideas is met with an overwhelming attitude to thecontrary. All their success, experiences, and intelligence give asense of independence. They mistakenly believe that their beliefsystems is of their own making. Unfortunately for them, it is not.
A fundamental concept tocreating the life that you desire is to create a belief system thatworks for you. Contrary to what most think, our beliefs systems areshaped by the influences around us. Teachers, parents, friends,co-workers, and institutions all have input into the beliefs that welive by. Have you ever noticed how children's ideas often reflectthose of their parents? This is so common that politicalorganizations poll school children during Presidential electionsbecause they accurately reflect the sentiment of the adults.
The governments of theworld are masters at shaping the belief system of its' people. Through the use of propaganda, public opinion is swayed based uponthe desires of those in power. This is often done in the name ofnationalism. A group of people is established as a threat to thesociety. Events are shown to validate this viewpoint while creatingthe emotional dislike towards that group. Thus, the government isfree to act as it see fit with the full support of its people. Unfortunately, most people do not have firsthand experience to form asolid conclusion. Of course, they will defend their belief eventhough that are not certain where it came from.
It is common for peopleand organizations to manipulate other's beliefs for the sake ofcontrol. The government is one example. Some religions throughouthistory has acted in a similar manner. They used threat of an angryDeity and eternal damnation to control the masses. There werenumerous instances where the Church of England was the most powerfulorganization in Europe. With a following that is under control, itis much easier to maintain influence. Naturally, there are manydenominations where this is not the case. So, too, are their manypeople who's lives are enhanced by their religious affiliation. Unfortunately, this is not true in all instances.
The key to a beliefsystems is creating one that works for you. As an adult, you havethe freedom to believe anything that you desire. Spending timequestioning where some of your beliefs came from is healthy. It isalso effective to determine whether they still work for you. If theyassist you into being happy, joyous, and free, then they areworthwhile. However, when they instill pain, perhaps it is time torethink them.
Ironically, the beliefsthat seem to cause the most chaos in people's lives come from thosewho love us the most. Many individuals suffer from psychologicaldisorders due to the influences of their parents. Things such as lowself esteem, abandonment, and sexual issues all come from ourupbringing. Typically, one who suffer from any of these, was made tofeel guilty and shameful. Their worth was shown to be tied to theirperformance which never was good enough. Mistakes were not forgivenbut something to be used as a weapon to make the other feel worse. All this was done as a form of control.
Leap forward 20 yearsand you find that a person who grew up in this atmosphere often stillcarries these beliefs. Even though recent experiences will prove tothe contrary, the individual still hears the words of the parent. Itaffects the relationships with friends, lovers, coworkers, andoneself. Without some help, the person is often incapable of healthyinteraction with others. There is a degree of sickness in all thatis done. Thus, the individual turns to other things to fill thatvoid that exists whether it is drugs, alcohol, sex, or food. However, if the belief system was viewed as insane, the person mightbe apt to change it. Simply altering a few of the basic beliefs oneholds regarding oneself miraculously changes life.
The more that we canaccept that it is likely that what we believe came from other, thebetter our chances are of attaining freedom. There are many thingsthat were taught to us by others growing up which serve us well. This is especially true if we were raised in a loving home. However,society being as selfish as it is, there is much that stands in ourway of happiness. Analyzing our belief system gets to the root ofwhat motivates us. A system that contains a great deal of fear willcause one to often act out of that fear. The opposite is also true. To create 'our' life, it begins with creating 'our' own beliefsystem.
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