The Key To Freedom

I want to share an important insight from a recent conversation with a client of mine. It’s something that’s been showing up for them in their work, and I believe it might resonate with you as well.

This client works for someone who can be quite intimidating. The boss makes it clear that they’re in charge and the decision-maker, creating an atmosphere where my client doesn’t feel fully respected or valued. In fact, they often find themselves on edge, afraid they’ll say or do the wrong thing. Sound familiar?

Here’s the breakthrough, they realized that while their boss’s behavior hasn’t changed in 20 years, they have. The issue wasn’t the boss; it was their perception of the boss that was keeping them stuck. When you’re frozen in the belief that someone is intimidating or that a situation is unchangeable, you lose your freedom. You’re left dancing with that intimidation, instead of leading yourself powerfully.

This doesn’t just apply to work, it shows up in all areas of life. Think about the filters you have in place with family members, friends, or even colleagues. You may have written someone off as “negative” or “difficult,” and now, every interaction just confirms that perception. But what if you could change how you see them?

For my clients, they asked themselves, “How does this person have to occur for me to have a productive relationship with them?” They decided to shift their mindset. Instead of seeing their boss as intimidating, they imagined the boss as water, and themselves as the plant. Every interaction became nourishment for their growth. This simple shift changed everything.

So here’s my invitation to you: Where in your life do you have a filter that’s limiting your freedom? Is there someone you’ve been seeing through the lens of “intimidating,” “negative,” or “difficult”? What if that filter was just made up of language—and you had the power to shift it?

Give it a try. Change your perception, and see how things begin to show up differently. You might find that the people who seemed like obstacles become your greatest sources of growth.

Let me know what you discover!