Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

By William Ernest Henley

Freedom is defined as the power or right to act or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

What is so scary about letting yourself go and revealing your soul?”

Freedom is a word that is often used. It is a simple word that carries various meanings depending on its context. Freedom can be as extreme as a release from physical slavery. Freedom can be as minimal as the ability to choose what socks one puts on (even if they don’t match). At the end of the day, freedom is something many individuals speak of, and yet, take for granted. This also holds true in writing. Many of the best writers I know struggle to freely share their deepest emotions. What’s stopping us? Fear.

My greatest fight for freedom was birthed through my writings about LOVE.

As a young(er) man I made many errors in hopes of establishing a meaningful relationship. I willingly made myself vulnerable and took countless risk in hopes of finding “true love.” Though I have no regrets, for a season my freedom to share my writing was infringed upon because I was filled with fear of rejection and embarrassment. This is the worse type of slavery: the limitations that we allow to permeate our mind.

Anyone who has ever had a broken heart knows that it can birth some great writing. Yet, how comfortable are we sharing the inspiration that is spawned through our tears? Think about it. Some of the best songs, poems, and movies revolve around  the author’s personal brush with a break-up.

Use Your Pain as Fuel

My mind, body, and soul were tied to a relationship that was over. I kept trying to mentally put together a bond that had been shattered into a million pieces. Crippled by my own created mental limitations, I wrote down the most erratic and passionate poems I’ve ever penned. No eyes except mine were privy to this material. Why? I hadn’t freed myself to share it.

It was not until I changed my perception of this writing that I was able to start the process of sharing it openly. I finally shifted my view to see the poetry as poetry and not as an indictment against my poor choices.  Honestly, the fresh raw emotions of this season of writing greatly impressed many of the people who were familiar with my style because it was so different than everything I had written before.

So what is my point?

Turns out the freedom I lost was always available to get back. The question became was I willing to pay the cost to reacquire it? I had to take risk again. Ultimately, I had to decide that I would not be a victim but a victor. This was a costly proposition.

What hindrances or restraints have you allowed to creep into your psyche?

Don’t focus on who hurt you or what circumstances generated your lack of freedom. Instead, start to take the steps to SPEAK to your mental shackles, bonds, and strongholds. Verbally command them to let you go. Nothing can hold the creativity, hope, purpose, and ingenuity that is inside of you. You never know how great your writing is until you share it. Dusk off that dark or self effacing piece of work and embrace it as a part of yourself that was meant to be revealed.

I personally challenge every eye that reads this today to take the risk and… Speak 2B Free!

Image by Flickr user:  Vectorportal