Freedom – not a recipe, but a feeling“
I often hear sentences like: “He is free because he has money.” “She is free because she travels.” “Free is the one who has no obligations.”
These are myths that can quickly stir up envy. But are they really true?
I live with two backpacks. A larger one, where my tent, sleeping bag, a few clothes and cooking utensils fit. And a smaller one, which I use for day trips or as an extra carry-on. That is my possession, my home, my safety. I don’t own more – and I don’t need more.
And yet: I also cannot just move on whenever I feel like it. External circumstances sometimes hold me back. Sometimes it is fear, sometimes violence, sometimes simply the reality that it just doesn’t go further. There have been situations where I had to endure things that were hard to bear. Moments when I realized I cannot save everyone. And later the opinions of others, which pushed me further to my limits.
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Precisely because of this, I learned to control my emotions – not to be numb, but to not break in the middle of storms. That is perhaps the most honest side of my freedom: it is not without limits, but it arises through acceptance.
Myths about Freedom
Money does not make you free
Money can open doors, but it can also bring new worries. Those who own much are often afraid of losing it. I own almost nothing – and because of that I often feel light.
Traveling does not automatically make you free
Yes, I am on the move. But not because I always want to travel, but because I follow the possibilities life offers me. Sometimes that also means: staying, enduring, waiting.
Minimalism is not a recipe for everyone
For me, it means lightness. For others, maybe renunciation. For me, it is a conscious decision: What do I carry with me? What do I let go of? (And yes – my readers already know the story about the backpacks. One even said laughing once that it’s enough already 😅. But I am still proud of it, because I never thought that exactly this would be enough.)
Obligations are not the end of freedom
Even on the road I take responsibility: for encounters, for promises, for what matters to me. Freedom does not mean carrying nothing – but knowing what you carry for.
Work is not only a burden
I take jobs that give me money to move forward. Sometimes they are simply necessary, sometimes even fulfilling. Work does not take away my freedom – it is a part of it.
Other people’s lives are not easier
From the outside, many things look shiny. But every person carries burdens, even if they are not visible. Me with my backpacks just as much as someone with a big house.
Freedom in the Mind
I cannot control everything. Not where life drives me. Not which circumstances slow me down. But I can still decide how I deal with it.
Freedom is not a possession, not a status, not a place. It is not a finished recipe you can just follow.
Freedom is a feeling every person has to discover for themselves.
And maybe this is the most honest truth:
We are not free because we can do everything.
We are free when we find our own peace with what is.
