self

[Charmie]

"Freedom from the bondage of self" or just freedom.what does this mean to you guys?

[Mark75]

Kris Kristoferson wrote a line in the song "Me and Bobby McGee":

"Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose..."

I always liked that line. Freedom to do whatever you want, no strings attached, no family, job, whatever.... means having nothing to lose because there is nothing to lose. Years ago I always understood that. Perhaps too well .

Now, as we work through recovery, we lose ourselves... not that we are directionless or have some kind of terrible identity crisis, but that we lose our spot at the center of our own universe. We are not bound to our own ef'd up notions of the world and how it should be. We lose our own severely limited expectations of what is possible in our own lives, and in the lives of others. We are free to be exactly what our loving God wants us to be. Free of the bondage of self....

Nothin' left to lose? THANK GOD.... I have lost shame, loneliness and fear. Now that's freedom.

Mark

[Music]

Originally Posted by Charmie

"Freedom from the bondage of self" or just freedom.what does this mean to you guys?

I think most people, when asked what real freedom is answer, "the ability to do what I want to do, when I want to do it." That's what I did when I was drinking. I did what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it, without any consideration for a sense of right or wrong and without concern for my family, friends and co-workers. True freedom comes, not from doing what I want to do but doing what I "ought" to do, which is to try to follow the will of my Higher Power, which in the context of the third step prayer is exactly what I'm asking for. When I do God's will, I'm free of the guilt I used to feel which came from doing what I wanted regardless of religious/spiritual morals or societal laws. In other words, my attitude was "screw it". True freedom doesn't come from doing what I want, but doing what I should do to be a good person, a responsible person, with dignity and self-respect. So in short, my job is to keep my ego in check so that I don't run on selfishness and self-centeredness which the Big Book says is at the root of all my problems.

[shaun00]

for me freedom means......realeased from the mental torture of drinking or more importantly for not drinking.

The mental suffering for me without a drink and without a program......nearly finished me.

that freedom is beautiful......an enjoyable emptyness....of calmness and peace......it de-clutters my airwaves to a connection with god.

freedom for self......once realeased from the mental torture i had the ability to reflect on my life.......with gut level honesty
and see clearly that most things in my life where done for the benifit of me.
decisions where based on me first......everyone...and i mean everyone second.
realizing that maybe im not as important as i think i am.....turning away from me and looking for how i can be of use to others.

Sounds idealic........some days it is..........
somedays my ego tweaks and i forget myself.......all to easy to get self absorbed.....
the difference today is that self absorbtion gets way to uncomfortable ..
pretty quickly.

[Charmie]

great replies folks,am still thinking on this one.it means so much to me,and you 3 have covered alot of it.

[Boleo]

Originally Posted by Charmie

"Freedom from the bondage of self" or just freedom.what does this mean to you guys?

For me this old Buddhist saying says it best:

"A Man should measure his wealth by that which he does not need".

The "bondage of self" is the delusional idea that we need more stuff than we "really" need (like a substance to feel good).

[Charmie]

i was just talking to a freind about that today boleo,but it wasnt just the booze i needed more of,it was everything in life,more more more,,always.

[freya]

Ultimate freedom is attained only through willing submission to the One True Authority.

freya

...oh, and, just FYI, the One True Authority would not be "Self."

[Ago]

Freedom from the bondage of "self" for me means I can watch my thoughts go by like Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange without attaching to any of them. I still have them but I just watch them go by, if I take one down as it goes by and embrace it and believe it, I am no longer free from the bondage of self

10, 11, and 12 are all necessary for this for me, 10 to clean up my messes, 11 for prayer and especially meditation, which is where we learn this skill, and 12 to get my thoughts off me and onto someone else.

viola freedom from bondage of self, or more specifically the stories my mind tells me.

[Tommyh]

freya and music put it very well,and I cannot add to what they said

[RobbyRobot]

Freedom from bondage to ourselves means to me embracing life and giving service and kindness to others through a loving empathy. Honestly "walking that extra mile" with others is such a wonderful cure against self-centerdness and selfishness. Freedom is a joy best shared all around for everyone.

Cheers!

[Charmie]

lots of stuff i identify with here,but i think freya and robbyrobot have put it all in a nutshell for me! .i was going to write great big long lists,but when it is so beautifully and simply put like that i dont need to say any more.

[Wolfchild]

Originally Posted by Charmie

"Freedom from the bondage of self"

Means that my way of looking at things is not the only reality there is.
Means that my way of doing things is not the way everyone should live.
Means that my emotions are not the most important feelings on earth.
Means that my thinking is not the absolute or final truth in any situation.
Means that i am not sufficient in and of myself to live a new way of life.
Means that i am not anyone's Higher Power or God of their understanding.
Means that someone else's will for my life are not the only options available.
Means that there is a path which i must walk in order to find out what is real.

Means that i can, if i chose, to consider someone else's needs before my own.
Means that i can, if i chose, to find value in myself by doing God's will today.
Means that i can, if i chose, to help someone find a spiritual solution together.
Means that i can, if i chose, to keep doing the right things for the right reasons.
Means that i can, if i chose, to find my place and purpose with someone's help.
Means that i can, if i chose, to be of maximum benefit to society & to the fellowship.
Means that i can, if i chose, to stay committed to my own inner well being & health.
Means that i can, if i chose, to offer my life to someone else to give them hope.

Freedom, for me, means that i have been given the ability to make a choice.

[Charmie]

beautiful wolfie.

[Dean62]

I love this question Charmie. I think it hits right at the essance of our purpose. I like what you said Cubile75, good stuff. All the replies here are good. I started to reply but my response kept turning into spiraling random ramblings I couldn't seem to put together in cohesive thought....nothing new there....

I wasn't going respond but.... I'm just going to hit the send button and then going to have some coffee and get on with my day. Thanks for the question and the responses.


"Self" seeks to take what it can from life in order be sustained.
It is a never ending thirst for more that can never be satisfied keeping us imprisoned in the maintenance of our own existence.

Like everything in this world it will parish.

Freedom from self is giving back to life in a way that nurtures supports and encourages the sustenance of life.

It is being a part of the very substance that gives life.

It is the duality of taking from the universe and living towards death or giving to the universe and breathing life into it.

Look around our lives when we are selfish and you see pain (death).
Look around our lives as we become free of self and you see love (life).

Freedom is life, bondage is death.