Angel Joy B.

Gerebit Grade 12 ABM-Franc

Freedom can be a tricky thing. We often take for granted the Freedoms we
have and tell ourselves that we deserve them for this reasons or that one.

It’s a beautiful thing to have the Freedoms we are given, but because I am
free to do anything I want here, doesn’t mean I should do everything I want.

We are children in Gods eyes, no matter what our age may be. Infant to
elder, we are His children.

With Freedom, there is great responsibility for our actions. Even without
Freedom, we still face consequences for our own actions.

For some reason I see a lot of people boast about their Freedom to do this or
that. I’m not going to lie, I’ve done it myself. We say things like “I’m my own
person and I’ll do what I want, when I want because I can.” What we fail to
remember is that when we are focused on what we can do because we are “free” is
that everything thing we do has consequences.

Usually the tendency to make a choice in the wrong direction is guided by a

selfish view point. We forget that the choices we make affect everyone in our lives.
We tell ourselves they don’t care or notice but they do. God loves us. One way He
loves us is through the people in our lives. He doesn’t want division from your
loved ones. He wants peace, joy and love for you in your family and friend
networks.

Everything we think and say and do has consequences for ourselves and for
others. Like ripples on a pond our actions spread out and affect others because
everything is interconnected. And we need to remember that our actions are
irreversible.

Consequences are where our thoughts and actions meet reality. We can’t
always foresee all the consequences of our actions and trying to be 100% sure we
are doing the right thing 100% of the time would lead to anxiety and
indecisiveness. However, we can resolve to try to choose those actions that lead to
true happiness and not to unhappiness – to avoid selfish actions and to choose
actions that have beneficial consequences for all – actions that promote connection
and unity and harmony.

Actions come from our state of mind. So, when our state of mind changes,
then our actions change. If we make a conscious effort to develop our essential
goodness, then that becomes our usual state of mind.

We see we need to take full responsibility for ourselves and our actions. As
we grow we learn how to act in wise, practical and creative ways. Developing a
gentle self-discipline and thoughtfulness brings our actions into line with our
understanding and our higher intentions.

We may need to patiently train ourselves out of the habits of the way we
have been living. Self-control – over our thoughts, feelings and actions – is
necessary for success in life. Self-control often means overriding our habitual
desires. We can attempt to stop acting/reacting impulsively or recklessly.

Particularly we need to be careful when seeking pleasure or excitement.

Being caught up in pleasure or excitement we might not think properly about the
consequences. Some pleasures may bring pain and suffering in their wake.

Self-interest or selfishness, including the desire for pleasure, has such a

strong influence on our attitudes and behavior. If we can see that in the long term,
bigger picture the consequences are not good, then we see the need to resist
impulses and to act in line with our understanding.

Taking responsibility for our actions is empowering. We open up the

opportunity and the freedom to shape our own lives. We realize that we are the
main agent in our own life – we are not just at the mercy of other agents. We have
the power to change ourselves and so change our lives, and we understand that
everything we do affects how our life unfolds. We can be creative and find
satisfaction in our achievements, becoming more confident and effective. Acting
responsibly, we earn the trust and respect of others.