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Dr. Zafirides Existential Therapy - Part 2, Freedom

Peter Zafirides

Peter Zafirides

Physician
Hi Everyone,

Sorry it took me so long to get Part 2 of my series on Existential Therapy out to you. This week, I discuss the existential concept of Freedom:

http://www.thehealthymind.com/2013/11/20/092-existential-therapy-part-2-freedom/

We truly have the freedom to take our lives in the direction we want. But with this freedom comes the awareness of the responsibility we have. The responsibility to chart our own course is ours and ours alone. I discuss how Freedom - from the existential perspective - can be both motivating and paralyzing.

All of us have the freedom to change our lives for the better. Once we assume responsibility and then move from will to action, beautiful changes begin to happen. NEVER doubt your strength.

I hope you find this podcast both helpful and worthwhile.

Kindly,
Dr. Z
 
Didn't Jean Paul Sartre once observe that absolute freedom is really absolute slavery? Once you've accepted existential freedom, it sure seems as though pushing at the paper walls around us can really be an unsettling process. It's so good that Dr. Z maintains such a light hearted positive voice while dealing with such difficult subjects as death, meaning, isolation and freedom. Otherwise, such weighty matters could make you feel really uncomfortable like winning a free Christmas vacation in Stalingrad! This is such a great podcast, I think everyone on the Forum should listen to it because healing from TMS requires accepting and working with absolute existential freedom and not pulling back into our old dysfunctional defensive postures.

Thank you once again, Peter.
 
Bruce - thank you for your very kind words. I am really happy you found the podcast worthwhile. Freedom can be a tricky thing. The truth is, we have the freedom to move our life in any direction we can imagine. But with that freedom comes the responsibility and the will to actively work towards those goals.

Yes, it can seem intimidating to fight those fears and self-doubt, but we must. We must face the anxiety and coldly move outside of our comfort-zone. It is the only way we grow. We all have that power. All of us possess that strength. Once we understand this - and begin to move toward our goals - life begins to change for the better.

You ARE that powerful.
 
My German teacher in college taught our class more about existentialism than she did German
but I didn't get it and doubt anyone else in class did. We thought we were smart and were in some ways,
but not very smart enough to understand what she was trying to tell us.

Dr, Zafirides, your podcast explained existential freedom better or maybe it's just that now I'm old
enough to understand it. Thanks, Dr. Peter, for the wisdom and for sharing it with us at TMSWiki.

Bruce, your posts always show how you move out of your comfort zone. It's one of the best things we
can do for ourselves. I always like the saying, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

If we just do what we're afraid to do, it's done and behind us and we no longer fear it.

But I still wonder how people can jump out of airplanes with parachutes,
unless the plane is on the ground.
 
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