12 Dec 2015

Between a stimulus and a response there is space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our responses lies our freedom and our growth.

Viktor Frankl

Do you think you are a slave?

Most people would say "of course not!" Most would say "I am my own master," and no one else's. But are we really? Are we the masters of ourselves? Or are we slaves?

The dictionary defines a slave as:

"A person entirely under the domination of some influence or person."

If we think about this definition, do you think you are a slave? Are we under the total domination of some influence, if not a person?

For example, do you think a drug addict is the master of his life or a slave to his addiction? Some would say that he has choice, that he can quit if he really wanted and that he's choosing his addiction over anything else. They would say he's not a slave.

Others would say that he is a slave to his addiction because he doesn't believe he has control over it. He feels he can't quit and choose something else instead of getting his fix.

What do you think?

Are we slaves to those things over which we feel we have no control?

Are we slaves to consumerism? Are we slaves to substances like sugar, alcohol and food? Are we slaves to our need to be loved, accepted, needed, recognized or wanted? Are we slaves to our laziness? Are we slaves to our anger, apathy, justifications and blame?

He who subdue himself shall be free; he shall cease to be a slave of passions.

Buddha

If we have choice to not choose the above, we are not slaves to them. But if we feel we have no choice, are we slaves?

There is a big difference between what we believe and what is real. But what we believe creates our experience of life, even if what we believe is not true. If a husband believes his wife is cheating on him, he may be angry or sad even if the wife is not cheating.

If we believe we are not valuable as a person unless we have money, friends, a partner, a house, etc. then that's the experience we have, even if our value as people is not really dependent on our possessions.

We may feel we are slaves to many things even if we aren't. For example, we may believe we are slaves to our fears. If all we want is to avoid fear, then we could feel as if fear is in control. But is it? Is fear in control or is it our belief about fear that is in control?

Have you ever confronted one of your fears and felt great afterwards, as if you were the master of your life? Why do you think?

You may have been very afraid to talk to someone and you may have avoided talking to them for a long time and one day you decided that you were going to do it and did it! Just the fact that you faced your fear (regardless of the outcome) in itself can feel empowering because you directed your life and were not the puppet of your fear.

Could we then feel like slaves, even when we aren't? Can we feel so dependent on someone or something that we feel they have control over us--not because it is true, but because we believe it is true?

What are those things you feel you have no control over, but feel they have control over you? Do you feel a need to always be working? Do you feel a need to always be comfortable? Do you feel you need someone, to live happily ever after? Do you believe you are a nobody unless you _______? Do you feel you need to always seek pleasure? You name it.

Look at those things and ask yourself: Are these things more powerful than me? Have I felt like a slave to them? Can I change this? Change your dependency and you will experience yourself as the master of your life, even if you unconsciously always were.

Without self knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and will always remain a slave.

George Gurdjieff

This is the path of taking charge of our life. This is the path of disciplining ourselves instead of being a puppet of our minds and feelings. This is the path of self-empowerment. This is the path of ending our "inner slavery" in order to experience ourselves as free and responsible human beings, because we always have choice. This is the path of self love.

Please leave your comments below. I enjoy hearing from you.

ARE YOU A SLAVE?