My readings usually include books or articles on psychology and philosophy. They provide me with resources as a mentor and to help others professionally and personally. There is a psychiatrist who writes very clearly and always applies his approach to real-life situations. I’m referring to Luis Gutiérrez Rojas. In his lectures, he approaches life from a positive and motivating perspective. His first book, “The Beauty of Living” was a bestseller. His second book, “Living Freer: Choose a Happy Life“, is on its way to becoming as widely read as the first, and the central theme of his second book is how to conquer freedom.

Nowadays, it’s believed that being free means doing what you want. Being free, loving, and being loved to seem to be the keys that will allow us to achieve long-awaited happiness. If we want and yearn to be free, we will eventually achieve it; it’s just a matter of fighting for it. Freedom is, without a doubt, the foundation and foundation of our happiness.

Luis Gutiérrez Rojas defines freedom as the ability to make decisions without being restricted by anything or anyone. That’s why capitalist societies so often link freedom to economic status. If I have money, I can unleash my dreams. However, among those who can achieve everything, many are dissatisfied, addicted, unstable, and suicidal.

Free people are masters of their actions and responsible for them. They don’t experience emotional turmoil or systemic instability. When things are going well, they are able to foresee future storms and take steps to preempt any bad things that may come. They are humble and even-tempered when analyzing success.

Exercising freedom doesn’t mean thinking whatever we want, nor giving free rein to destructive thoughts or cheap pessimism. Free people don’t sugarcoat their memories by thinking that any past time was better. They accept reality as it is. They understand that the world, the circumstances, and the era they have lived in are the best in history because they are the ones they have to play a leading role in.

To achieve such levels of inner freedom, it is essential to do some mental exercises to prevent criticism or gossip from taking root within us. Excusing the intentions of others, forgiving the evil one suffers, and relativizing the suffering one faces are key if we want to be truly free.