Do you feel like you can take risks at work, risks that could potentially propel you forward? Do you play it safe because that paycheck means ends meet at the end of the month? What would happen if you chose to be frugal and saved extra money for a while and built a cushion for yourself? Would you be more willing to take a risk with a safety net below you? I would. That's what I mean by building freedom into your life. Creating protection around you, allows you to have the freedom to take more risk today.

My mentor, Rhonda Shasteen, taught me about this concept of building freedom into life when I've expressed my reservations in the past about being bold. I always wanted to be bolder and take some risks but was afraid of crossing a threshold. Acting out of fear, often means doing nothing or not follow your instincts, when being bold could make a big difference on a project. With time I've built some freedom in my life and gained some confidence along the way allowing me to be bolder from time to time. I learned that each time I experienced success when I chose to go out of my comfort zone and act in boldness, that it was far less frightening the next time I needed to step out in boldness.

Another freedom you can build into your life is health. Some heath issues are completely out of your control, so I'm referring to those that are. If you maintain your health and exercise regularly, then having dessert on occasion isn't a big deal. If you've neglected your health and developed onset conditions as a result of the neglect, then you may not be able to have the dessert they way you used to. That freedom is gone from your life.

Building these freedoms into your life takes some prioritization and deciding what's important to you. That may take a bit of soul searching in effort to grow in self-awareness. You may use your family for a sounding board to make decisions around changes in your life to allow you to create more freedom. With a little time and effort to self-improve, you can befreer to truly live life.