Amy Jo's Blog » Freedom

you need only claim the events of your life to make yourself yours. when you truly possess all you have been and done, which may take some time, you are fierce with reality.

amyjo — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:49:13 +0000

- florida scott-maxwell

laughing & resting

amyjo — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:50:38 +0000

Rest and laughter are the most spiritual and subversive acts of all.

Laugh, rest, slow down.

words by anne lamott

my sweet willie & all-time favorite male artist on earth

“nelson ripped through 16 songs in his first 30 minutes on stage and never really slowed down. while other artists engage the crowd with stories, nelson and his band just play. and play. and play.”

you can read the article here

freedom & love

amyjo — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:00:03 +0000

Freedom and love go together. Love is not a reaction.

If I love you because you love me, that is mere trade, a thing to be bought in the market; it is not love. To love is not to ask anything in return, not even to feel that you are giving something – and it is only such love that can know freedom.

words by krishnamurti

give your best

amyjo — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:55:24 +0000

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

— Mother Teresa

i aint settlin for just getting by, i’ve had enough so-so for the rest of my life. tired of shooting too low so raise the bar high, just enough aint enough this time. i aint settlin for anything less than everything.

amyjo — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:00:05 +0000

all good things are wild and free.

amyjo — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:27:11 +0000

words by henry david thoreau

trusting yourself

amyjo — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:47:57 +0000

around midnight

amyjo — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 07:01:43 +0000

just be yourself. it doesn’t matter if it’s good enough for someone else.

amyjo — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:57:29 +0000

(words: jimmy eat world/photo via weheartit)

why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?

amyjo — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:02:51 +0000

this quote by rumi recognizes the capability each human being possesses that allows liberation from the self-composed prison in which so many people reside. circumstance often plays a role in the lives of individuals that are born into a culture of prejudice, violence and fear. on the other hand, there are numerous people who choose to be imprisoned even when they have the choice to be free.

why do we put limits on ourselves? why does the thought of total freedom scare us? why do we seek approval from those around us? why do we stay in unhealthy relationships just to avoid loneliness? why do we become a slave to another human being when the prison door is so wide open?

by breaking the rules and releasing the expectations that have been placed upon us by family and society, we can rise above our so-called limitations and take on a task that allows us to confront our fears. with courage and determination, we learn to fly and remove the ties that bind.

each one of us has been given this gift of opportunity for flight. what we do with it is our choice. we can see clearly our potential or we can turn a blind eye and do as we are told. the journey is not always easy and sometimes feels very lonely. we may have to fall down multiple times without a hand to help us up in order to walk the path we are meant to walk. we may have to abandon those we love most for a period of time so that we can distinguish our own voice from the one we have been listening to for years and years. hopelessness often walks into the room and consumes us with her presence, but with patience, perseverance, and loyalty to self, we can shine light on our beauty and find our inner strength.

finding a purpose in life sometimes requires that we unlearn the things we have been taught and figure out for ourselves what works and what does not work. each person is a unique, living creature with individual needs and desires. as similar as we are to one another, honoring our personal truth is the key to peace. denying our differences, as seen time and time again, leads to destructive behavior that keeps us confused and miserable.

so why do we stay inside the prison walls when flying above them is always an option? discovering why we do the things we do brings us closer to understanding ourselves. it usually boils down to fear of the unknown, fear of failure. we learn at an early age that approval from others is important and fitting into a mold will win us the love and affection of others, while being true to ourselves is not rewarded. unconditional love for self must replace instant gratification so we can take risks and break free of our patterns. falling is inevitable during leaps of faith. to get back up on our feet and begin walking again makes us stronger, and the adventure that much more interesting.

“your way begins on the other side. become the sky. take an axe to the prison wall. escape. walk out like someone suddenly born into color. do it now.”