Are You Living Your Life Like it's Golden?

Tonight I was in some kind of mood and I started listening to some music. I love music I can sing along to…so it should come as no surprise that Jill Scott is one of my favorite artists. I remember when I discovered her. I was maybe 15 or 16 and while all of my friends were listening to the typical Hip-Hop and R & B songs, I thought I had uncovered a gem in Scott. I guess perhaps that was a few seconds before neo-soul had become popular and was awarded the label “neo-soul.” Since my treasured discovery, I have bought and sung along to every CD she has released.

As the songs rolled from one to another, the feel good tune “Golden” came on.  If I had to choose a song to describe this stage in my life at this very second, this would most certainly be the one. I forgot how wonderful this song was and ended up putting it on repeat. Throughout the song she sings about her "freedom.”

I'm taking my freedom,
Pulling it off the shelf,
Putting it on my chain,
Wearing it around my neck,
I'm taking my freedom,
Putting it in my car,
Wherever I choose to go,
It will take me far

Shamefully I have sung this song a million times and glossed over how powerful those words are. Essentially what she is doing is taking ownership of her freedom. How many of us know what it’s like to be free? How many people own their freedom? Living in the “land of the free,” that word is tossed around frequently without much thought. We are free to own land; free to practice whatever religion we would like to and we have freedom of speech. The list of the many freedoms we have goes on and on.

But when I speak of freedom, I’m talking about the freedom of your spirit, your mind…an unbinding freedom. Hell, some people won’t even pick out what clothes to wear without considering someone else’s opinion.

Let’s take a closer look at her words. In the first verse, she says she is “taking” her freedom. She is pulling it “off of the shelf.” She is “wearing it around her neck.”  So many of us have given our freedom away or neglected our freedom. You can give your freedom away to that 80 hour per week job or that person you’re won’t stand up to. Or you can simply disregard the fact you have the freedom to be you and attempt to be someone else.

In the same verse, she goes on to say that wherever she chooses to go; it will take her far. She is not being held hostage by the expectations of others or society. She is being true to herself. And speaking for myself as I always do, I noticed that when I’m true to myself, I manage to go further than I ever expected to go and places I never expected to go.

So to you my friends, I ask the questions: How many of you are living your life like it’s golden? Like it's important? Like it's valuable? How many of you are taking your freedom?

Ms. Jas