THE DESIRE FOR FREEDOM IS SOMETHING WE ALL SHARE. WHEN YOU REALSIE THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PERCEPTION OF FREEDOM YOU ARE FREE TO BE HAPPY WHEREVER YOU ARE.

While writing this I am recovering from a bout of Bronchitis. It is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bronchi, the airways that carry airflow from the trachea into the lungs. It restricts ones freedom to breathe, leaves you feeling very weak and is very unpleasant. The great thing about having it this time though, is that it alerted me to the awareness that "freedom" is at the basis of the degree to which we feel happy. Everything on the plant was born with an inbuilt desire for freedom.

With this physical restriction upon me it was easy for me to momentarily fall into the old habit of believing I was trapped in an unwell body. Resentment toward the restrictions my illness placed apon me started to grow until I remembered that I was the creator of my own freedom. Freedom lies between your ears. It is how I perceived my situation that was restricting me much more than my physical condition. I took control of my thoughts and began changing the situation.

I acknowledged "I am where I am and that's ok". Blaming myself for creating illness was not going to create a loving nurturing environment in which I could get well. I took responsibility and allowed myself to let go of blame and began more positive uplifting thought patterns. This is how I addressed my turn around of focus. Adapt it to your own circumstances and feel immediate relief.

I am where I am and it's ok because it's just my starting place
I have to start somewhere and this is where I am
I know my change of focus will help my body allow wellness
I know that I can change my focus
I enjoy changing my focus as it feels more encouraging
I love to feel better
I have been sick before and gotten well so I know I can do this
I love to think of things that make me smile
I remember the last visit with my grandson and that was wonderful
I remember the first time I won a photography competition and how proud I was of myself
I love the freedom to express myself with words and pictures
I love hearing the birds outside my window
I know my body has the ability to heal itself
If I need antibiotics they will be there for me
I know I have many resources at my disposal to make myself feel better
I am already feeling better with these thoughts
I can feel the smile on my face getting bigger and bigger
I feel better already
I know I create happiness with my thoughts
I know this will aid my recovery and it feels great.
I shared this with you as I have found that most people get caught up in not knowing how to shift their thoughts from a restricted, unhappy place to a place of joy and freedom. The key is to let it flow. When you find one happy thought it in turn will find another happy thought and before long you will find yourself being swept along on a stream of upliftment toward all the things you want. You don't have to stay focused on the problem at hand. Any thoughts that make you feel good is what you are looking for. It's the "feeling" the thoughts give you that is the important thing. Illness, sadness, and all things that doesn't feel good are rooted in fear, so once you change from fear to love, joy and expectation of happiness the fearful thoughts and all the experiences they bring with them have nothing to hold onto and must dissolve.

Freedom is more than just physical freedom; it's the freedom to choose. Choose our behaviour, choose our speech, choose our lifestyle and on and on it continues. The most powerful and basic freedom and the most important freedom of all is our freedom to choose our thoughts. When we recognize that all things in our world are born from a thought, we recognize the importance of the power of thought. No one can take from us our ultimate freedom; our freedom to think the thoughts we choose.

Coaches of all kinds, medical practitioners and now even scientist, will tell you that a positive, uplifting, focus of thoughts will make a difference to not only the way your body functions but your recovery rate and your performance. The way you focus your mind can drastically affect the amount of happiness you experience. Choosing the thoughts you think will raise or lower your heart rate, will increase the rate of healing, will draw to you happy or unhappy people, will create a life that is full of opportunities and much, much more. It is the thoughts that you think that determine how you live your life.

You are always free to think and your continued focus on the positive loving thoughts must create a positive change in your life. You can't have an unhappy ending to a happy journey. Don't wait till you are well or rich or find the right partner or job, be happy now.

Gaynor Parke is an author, founder of Advanced Success Life Coaching and photographer. Her passion is to assist people to find their personal version of happiness as it is from that place, she says, success in all things flows. To find out more or to subscribe to her newsletter visit www.advancedsuccesslifecoaching.com.au