Freedom

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Creativity InsideOut
CONNECTING Note from Pamela Walker Hart
Today is the day . . .
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Dear Friend,

When I wrote these freedom words about two years ago, I was primarily focused on racial, ethnic, and national freedom. Now, as I read these words, I realize they also apply to creative freedom. To the freedom to be and to do one’s own special creative something and gift it to the world. As you read these freedom words today, consider them in terms of your own creative freedom.

Freedom

Before freedom was a march, it was a walk.
Before it was a walk, it was a series of small steps.
Steps taken by individuals in their own homes,
their own neighborhoods, and their own communities.

Before a step was taken. Before the action began
or a word was spoken, individuals – many of them -
begin to think about life with the freedom to be and to do.

That was where it began. Where it always begins.
Even though we are frequently not aware of it,
a thought – an idea – always gives birth
to the word we utter, the action we take.

The first step taken towards freedom is always
a mental one. It happens in our thought.
It is a refusing – in one’s own thought – to define
the self as a less-than or a have-not somebody.

Quietly - in our own thoughts about our self –
we begin to practice the talk-and-walk of freedom.

First we find freedom in our own thought.
Then we learn how to speak the words and
take the steps that will help us gain
greater freedom in our daily life experiences.

Freedom gained by any group - gender, ethnic,
religious, national – never starts as a grand
group march nor is it won by a single group action.

Always, freedom begins with and is brought forth
by the consistent, steadfast efforts of individuals.

We do it - you and me. We listen to the sound of freedom
in our own thought. Then we are able to speak the honest,
heartfelt words and to follow through with the step-by-step work.

We are the ones who do it. We move freedom forward
from idea to actuality. We feel the forward motion of freedom.
We watch the outcome of freedom in our own life
and in the lives of those around us.

Because we have experienced a measure of freedom in our life,
we could never tolerate a return to some before-freedom-existence.
That is why we make the conscious choice to preserve
the victories of freedom we have won and lived.

We accept our responsibility to individually move freedom forward –
in our thoughts, with our words, and by our deeds. We do it
for our self and for those around us.
Step-by-step and stride-by-stride.

Let’s carefully choose NOW thoughts that will move us forward - not ones that limit or hold us back. We can choose constructive idea-thoughts that help us be and do our best. When we envision a special something that we want to share with others and do the step by step work to bring it forth, we will discover we are gaining bit by bit the creative freedom to fly.

All best, always
pam

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(c) Copyright 2007 Pamela Walker Hart.
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