All throughout this month Lynn has been talking about Freedom. And over the past number of months, we’ve been talking about the Genetic Needs common to everyone as described by Dr. William Glasser: the need for Love & Belonging, Power, Freedom, Fun, and of course, Survival – both physical and psychological.
I wanted to use my own story as an illustration of finding true freedom.
I have known all my life that I was gay—from a very young age. When I was in my late teens I found my way into a fairly conservative, evangelical church and quickly learned that being gay just wasn’t going to be acceptable. That christian community was very gracious and loving, and becoming a part of that “family” met my need for Love & Belonging in a huge way, but I found that in order to remain “in community” I would have to go into hiding.
Over the years that followed, I did everything I knew to “pray the gay away.” Nothing worked. I sought out counseling, got more and more involved, got married, become a minister… hoping at every turn that my sexuality would be “healed.” Of course that didn’t happen, and I now realize that there was nothing to heal in the first place.
In 1999 I came out. I viewed this very significant (and painful) experience as crossing the great divide. Looking back, I can see that my need for Power was being exercised in a more significant way than ever before, and this was a positive thing. I felt greater Freedom that I ever had, and this was also good. I found, though, that I was still in the defending, apologizing, and justifying mode most of the time. I had come out… but I was still not experiencing true freedom.
It wasn’t until years later (in 2009) that I came to miruspoint Facilitators as a client, and enrolled in Prime Potential, working with Shauna Jones and Lynn Sumida. It was through this process that I had an opportunity to experience first-hand what it felt like to live from Authentic Identity. Not only did I literally walk away from years of clinical depression, I also discovered what true freedom really felt like.
Soon thereafter, I joined the staff at miruspoint, became a Prime Potential Certified Facilitator, and began working with my own group of clients. Prime Potential has so profoundly changed my life, that I knew almost instantly that it would become my life’s work. And so, here I am.
So, how is freedom showing up in your life? Are you experiencing “true” freedom, or a watered down, anemic version that you’ve kind of learned to live with? Are you placating yourself with “fake freedom,” or experiencing the real thing?
If you’d like to know more about how you can experience True Freedom and the reality of your Authentic Identity, I’d invite you to get in touch with either me or Lynn. We’d love to have a conversation with you, and help you experience what freedom really feels like.