Autonomy

The first step in our journey to freedom is to become autonomous. The second step in our journey is to interact autonomously, thus freely, with the rest of the world.

SEPARATENESS is a condition of physical consciousness.

FREE-WILL is choice that comes from separateness.  It can most fully be expressed through autonomy.

AUTONOMY is a choice of free-will. It is a choice to be in charge of the Self only. Autonomy is maintained through un-attachment to the external world. It feels like ease, freedom.

FREEDOM is only possible with autonomy.

We have choices about ourselves and how we want to be and interact with the rest of the world.
When we try to be in charge of others, or let them take charge of us, we are no longer free to feel separate. We feel entangled.

ENTANGLEMENT
We have control over our choices of how we choose to relate to the external world, which is where we have little control. When we start to feel like a victim who has no control, we become entangled with our separate external reality. We tend to feel that we are losing our free-will, which then feels like a loss of our autonomy, which leads to a feeling of loss of freedom over self.

RETURNING TO AUTONOMY
When we feel unease, we know it is time to return to autonomy. Here is a procedure to accomplish returning to autonomy.

1. Acknowledge. Be aware that you are feeling unease. that you are entangled and reactive.
2. Accept. Embrace unease as guidance giving you positive intentions and appreciation.
3. Identify the source of guidance. Unease indicates that you are attached.
4. Liberate the attachment. Change your relationship to the attachment. Let go.
5. Adopt a new story, belief, perception, or paradigm that has no attachment within it.

Example:

1. Oops, I am aware of feeling unease. I must be entangled and reacting.
2. Ah, ha! This is guidance. What a gift, and opportunity. A reminder of my desire for me to return to autonomy.
3. I must be attached to something. Something I am doing, saying, or feeling is not in harmony with my autonomous self. What is it? Oh, I see. I want this person (to whom I am talking) to give up their idea for my idea. I think my idea would be more beneficial to them than my idea.
4. My attachment is causing me unease. I need to liberate my attachment to the belief that my ideas are better then theirs.
5. I remember now that I am here to understand my journey, which does not include telling others what their journey should be. I am grateful and clear about my desire to offer my perspective to others with no agenda for anyone else but me.

If you have been able to find success with each of the 5 steps, you will have returned to a sense of ease where you can experience your autonomy, freedom, and free-will.

LIVING IN AUTONOMY

• From the position where we are free from the rest of the world, the world becomes a safe and joyful place for us to explore how we want to be in relationship to others, and in what we choose to participate.
• What we give, we give unconditionally. What we receive, we receive unconditionally. From here there is no obligation or burden, just the choice to fulfill ourselves by being true to ourselves and honoring what is important for us to be and do.
• The events of the world become invitations to play, to discover, to create. They are no longer personal or primary. They are the medium through which we continue to be in, and return to, autonomy (where our true self is).
• We can now interact with the world without fear, without abandoning our true nature of loving and participating in co-creation with others.