The Importance of Independence

Independence, autonomy, freedom, and free will — all synonymous by nature. According to Merriam Webster, independence is defined as the quality or state of being independent: freedom from outside control or support. Since our brains weren’t even fully developed independence, we have been conditioned to believe that our freedom, our independence, always comes with a price. It has been ingrained in our DNA for generations that with freedom also comes responsibility, that it can never really be that simple, or easy to just be “free.”

Though I have always had an obsession with freedom and being independent, that only grew deeper in my twenties. At the age of 24, I stumbled upon a perfect one-bedroom apartment. Close to my job then, 5 minutes from all of my family, brand new, and in my budget! I finally had it all — a place to call my own, freedom to go wherever with my car, a job to pay for it, and a loving, caring, supportive family. It was the most peaceful, glorious, stressful experience I have ever lived through and it was also the most liberating. 

Very quickly things turned upside down when I was let go from my employer of two years. It was a bittersweet feeling, I was working part-time elsewhere and knew I could not sustain both anymore - nor did I want to. Being let go was a saving grace and allowed me more time, which led me to more freedom to explore myself. I had been through a lot very quickly in my early twenties, it was a turning point in my life I will never forget. The pure bliss, joy, and gratitude in waking up every day with a world of endless possibilities and the freedom to do so.

Since those days, a few years ago now, I have learned quite a lot about myself. I started to see how time relates to freedom and how much of it we truly give away to things that don't fulfill us. I visited sacred places, started gardening, creating art, candles, poems, you name it. I also learned that independence can take years to gain, and only minutes to lose. It is the choices we make that allow us that freedom, but also have the power to take it away (prison, loss of life, etc.) Independence also comes with responsibilities. Monthly rent, car notes, insurance payments, electric and internet bills, groceries, you name it - and we pay for those responsibilities with time. Time in exchange for currency, in exchange for us to survive - how did we get stuck with that deal? 

During these post-pandemic years, the state of the economy (prices, wages, and everything in between) has been spiraling out of control. Prices for basic needs and necessities have skyrocketed, job layoffs higher in the last 4 years than we have ever seen, and more to come with this new AI integration. Some of us have taken on multiple jobs just to make ends meet. I can't fathom giving so much of you and your time to companies that could let you go and throw off your financial and mental health in an instant - for them to gain more. I refuse to participate in that rat race anymore.

These days, I am chasing after financial freedom. The means to live, be, and do whatever, whenever, because I can afford to. Complete independence from relying on another person/company/organization to provide me the currency for my survival needs, and be able to take that away whenever they feel fit. Freedom from the poverty mindset passed down to me throughout generations. Free from limitations placed upon me by others who could never shift their mindset to think a different way, to realize there ARE other ways.

It is who we are that determines the quality of our freedom and independence - if we are not mindful of other lives and other species' lives, our own will be tested.