These days, it seems like everybody fancies themselves valiant freedom fighters. They're filling our city streets with protests. They think they're "fighting the power" and "sticking it to the man." But the reality is, they're just revealing their own powerlessness. Freedom isn't something you fight for. It's not something you demand, or beg for, or even die for. Freedom is something you take. It's something you use. And it's always available to you. Lots of people will tell you that you don't have freedom because of some government program, or because of institutionalized racism, or because of welfare cliffs, or because of socialism. But they're wrong. If you don't have freedom, it's because you've chosen not to have freedom. You've enslaved your mind to narratives and systems and ideologies and interests whose lifeblood is your attention. They've persuaded you that your freedom depends upon someone else giving it to you. And you've chosen to believe them. But the funny thing about beliefs is, you can change them whenever you want. In fact, when you change your beliefs, you change your whole world. Opportunities manifest themselves to you. Where before there were closed doors, poverty, and oppression, now there are open doors, wealth, and freedom. You'll realize they were always around you; you just weren't looking for them. If this sounds too woo-woo or too good to be true, it's because you just haven't yet understood the formula for freedom in the modern world. Don't worry: it won't cost you anything but your life. Because freedom's only price is the old toxic beliefs you leave behind when you choose to claim it. When you choose not to identify with your old perspective any longer, all of the old beliefs that made up your identity will fall away from you, and you will experience life as a new person. A free person. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Feetures (Code: STAPLETON)