The Mind Is What Makes People Free Or Enslaved
One of the greatest leaders of our time was imprisoned for more than 25 years. However, he was able to forgive and transcend the very bars of the cell in which he was held. Wise words came from his lips like “money will not create success, freedom will.” His name is Nelson Mandela, a figure who was clear that the mind is what makes people free or slaves.
Mandela is an example of free thinking. A man who was able to feel peace with himself locked up in a forced labor camp deprived of his rights as a human being. However, he knew how to escape his captivity through his mind.
The fable of free or slave people
Mandela knew how to find freedom locked in a prison. Precisely, in the thread of the life of this great South African leader, I would like to tell you the fable of the free person and the slave person so that you know if you live among free people or slaves.
Imagine a medium-sized city where two people live, one at each end of the population. However, one of them is very rich and opulent and the other has a salary close to the average. For simplicity, we’ll call them the wealthy gentleman and the average gentleman.
Every day, the opulent man comes out of the garage of his huge mansion with his expensive and spectacular car. He is very satisfied with the car, but he knows that an even more beautiful and expensive new model has come out and he can’t wait to change it to be able to show off his vehicle.
For his part, the average man leaves his collective garage that he has rented together with his small apartment on the way to work. He has a mid-size car, not very expensive, but one that he has grown fond of, because some of his first encounters travel in it, with the person he loves, in the form of memories.
The affluent lord and the mean lord at work
The opulent man comes to work with his head held high, puffing out his chest and making all the employees of his company look away, as he is very angry. He thinks that he is the only one who is worth and all the others are lazy who do not know how to do anything. Today he will spend the whole day at the office again because without him everything goes wrong.
The average gentleman arrives at his moderately paid job. He knows that except for a stroke of fortune he will never be rich, but he does not care because he loves what he does. They have fun with their profession, greet their colleagues, then they will eat together in the break time and laugh at the human and the divine.
The average man will work his hours at his job, without stress and without haste. He loves to know that he is leaving the company early because his wife and child are waiting for him to go for a walk in the park and feed the birds while his little one plays.
The affluent lord and the average lord in his personal life
Throughout the day, the wealthy lord only thinks about making more money. He wants everything. A better car, the most expensive trip flying first or in a private plane, the most spectacular pool, the best clothes … just think about buying to be the envy of the city.
The average man spends his days enjoying his free time with his family and friends. He walks in the park, makes a little getaway from time to time, goes out to dinner in a restaurant, he likes to read and life with his people and sometimes he goes to the cinema or the theater.
The wealthy lord loves to pretend. He has money and he wants everyone to know it. You fervently want to show how rich, powerful, and great you are. He has been successful in life and he burns to show the world that he is an example to follow, an achiever.
The average man is capable of smiling, of being surprised and of crying. We could say that he is happy because he has everything he needs. The love of his family, a job that pleases him and allows him to live without stress doing what he likes and that leaves him free time to dedicate to the people he loves.
Free or slave people
In conclusion, I would like to ask a question. ¿ Who do you think is a free person ? Does the wealthy man who has everything he can dream of always want more? Or maybe the average man who has what he needs and enjoys it every day?
In reality, knowing if we are free people or slaves does not depend on how much money and possessions we have, in which country we live or what our personal situation is. A poor human being can be much happier than one who has everything. It is all in the mind. The more you need, the greater your bondage. You choose which moral you choose in this fable.
