There were two discussions on social media that gathered a lot of attention. One was from a dog owner who was upset that someone called the police because they were unhappy with the dogs being off leash at the nearby elementary school where being off leash is prohibited.

The other story was about a patron of Costco who was angry because a Costco employee insisted they wear a face mask before entering, which is the current rule for all who enter.

Both people sharing their stories were very upset with the restrictions on their freedom that they did not choose, which brings me to tonight’s post about the definition of freedom.

One way to think of freedom is freedom to or freedom from. For example, one has the freedom to smoke and one desires the freedom from smoke. When one’s freedom choice infringes on the freedom of another, we might think about the greater good. If one’s freedom to do something infringes on another’s freedom from something, that’s a good time to consider others for the greater good of humanity. One is not wrong for wanting to practice their individual right however creating peace in this world some times involves self sacrifice for the greater good.

Let’s practice respecting the other and considering when we can let go of our own personal rights for the sake of the greater good in our communities, as we can.

Namaste.