“I want freedom for the full expression of my personality.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
To gain maximum fulfillment of your skills, you must have the freedom to do so. Freedom may look different for everyone, but freedom is sought by all. At least that is the what Brendon Burchard suggests in The Motivation Manifesto. While reading Burchard’s book (2014), he states, “Mankind’s main motivation is to seek and experience Personal Freedom.” (p. 4) Dating back to 1776 with the signing of The Declaration of Independence, freedoms were essential.
“…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights…” ~ The Declaration of Independence
Lack of freedom of thought and expression can drive your skills and personality underground. Also, constraint in thinking will lead to a lack of creativity and mediocrity. While following process, rules, and direction of authority are required in some instances, the constant and blind following will dull your skills and lead to mediocre performance.
Breaking through the ceiling to freedom will take strength and courage, as the vulnerability of nonconformance can make a person feel unsafe. A study by Fierce Conversations and Quantum Workplace (2017) says, ” About half of employees don’t regularly speak their minds at work – whether to colleagues or managers.” (as cited in Wilkie, 2017) The feeling of being caged and confined is not going to help release your skills and creativity. So choose. Find a path which includes strength, courage, and awareness of you and those around you. Find the strength to share. Find the courage to convey. Find the awareness to appreciate the uniqueness of other’s opinions and personalities.
The authors of the Fierce Conversations and Quantum Workplace study ( (as cited in Wilkie, 2017) offered these tips for having honest conversations:
Recognize that your reluctance to speak openly may be because in the past, telling the truth backfired.
Ask yourself how telling the truth might improve a situation or prevent it from worsening.
Start the conversation with the intention of producing a positive outcome.
Practice what you want to say and how you’re going to say it.
Ask questions so you can gather more information, eliminate assumptions and find solutions.
Becoming free with your actions and speech doesn’t mean that you do so with no regard for others. It does require that you develop a broader set of people skills which improves you, engages you, and builds your freedom.
Consider the above thoughts on the Freedom to Be You. Free your thoughts and share your thoughts. I invite you to build on this post. An interactive audience enables learning for us all.
References:
Burchard, B. (2014). The Motivation Manifesto: 9 Declarations to Claim Your Personal. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc.
Wilkie, D. (2017). Afraid to Speak Your Mind at Work? So Are Many of Your Colleagues. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/communication-.aspx.
Consider This Thought 