Reflections of Free Will: Choosing to Live with Awareness and not Rebellion

 "When you let go of what you are, you become what you might be." – Lao Tzu

The idea of "this is my life, and I choose how to live it" sits delicately at the boundary between self-empowerment and rebellion. It’s a bold assertion of free will, often mistaken as a license for superiority or defiance. But in truth, this choice—when rooted in awareness—becomes the fulcrum that can spread light inward and outward.

This tension is particularly visible in young people, caught in the fervor of experiencing everything life has to offer. I, too, once believed that freedom meant indulging every whim, trying everything, and chasing the best of all experiences. But the thirst for freedom, unchecked, can become a trap—a construct that binds the soul rather than liberates it.

The declaration, "I will do whatever I want," is powerful, but when it lacks love and understanding, it turns hollow. The key is to ask: are your choices an act of rebellion, or are they acts of creation? And creation, true creation, begins with yourself.

If you’re seeking love, acceptance, or appreciation, first examine: are you giving these to yourself and others? Love and respect are not external trophies to chase but inner foundations to build. When we neglect these within, we find the external world lacking, reflecting our own incompleteness back to us.

For instance, we may desire respect in our workplace or validation from our family, but do we extend respect and appreciation to them? Do we honor their unique journeys, even when they don’t align with our own? The truth is simple: what you give, you receive.

Turning inward is the first step to mastery. Are you loving your own body? Are you treating it with kindness and respect? Are you nurturing it with discipline rather than indulgence? Before we demand others to meet our expectations, we must look at how we meet those expectations within ourselves.

Children mirror their parents, not just in speech or habits, but in how they internalize love, respect, and discipline. How can we teach them to be healthier, more conscious beings if we neglect ourselves? Our partners, our parents—they, too, are mirrors. If the reflection isn’t what we desire, it’s a signal to look within and recalibrate.

The shift from “I can do whatever I want” to “I can create what I need within” is transformative. Once you realize that every external situation is a reflection of your internal state, barriers to growth dissolve. Gratitude becomes your compass, guiding you to honor yourself and, in turn, the world around you.

When you approach every action—whether it’s eating, reading, or simply being—with the question, “Am I loving myself?” you align with the divine plane of love that is free of discrimination. The external ceases to control your growth, and you step into your power as the creator of your life.

What you radiate, you attract. And when you radiate love, respect, and gratitude, the world begins to mirror it back in ways you never imagined. This is the essence of free will—not in rebellion, but in creation.