Freedom Is Only The Beginning

Hard work comes next — even when it was arduous enough to become free

a man carries a heavy boulder on his arms, broken chains still dangling from his ankles, minimal digital art — by DALL·E

Freedom is often the goal of those under any oppressive power. Indeed, the struggle to understand that freedom is the objective in the short- or long-term tends to be a preface — sometimes an interminable one — to the fight to achieve said liberty. Even at a personal level, we might take years to comprehend our subjugated status — sometimes to others, frequently to an inner story or belief system. In these cases, it is tempting to consider freedom the end of a process.

However, freedom is only the beginning of any worthwhile endeavour. Understanding this is essential to do anything significant with our time. Most of us know that freedom comes at the cost of responsibility. Anyone who has experienced pure, genuine freedom has also felt the burden of responsibility on their shoulders. While easy to relate to them, both concepts are abstract and vague. It is simple enough to state we will take responsibility for something; it sounds magnanimous and almost majestic. What does that mean, though? What will we have to do daily? What is the concrete application of our grandiose stance?

In my experience, it involves strenuous effort: a lot of hard work and an impressive amount of time. The problem is freedom necessitates hardship to…