UPBUILDING THE SELF

The Freedom Fantasy

Do you feel like you need something different than your present circumstances in order to feel happy and free? Maybe you just need a different job, to get that promotion, to move to a bigger place, or to get more time doing what you really love? Maybe once you get that, you’ll be able to enjoy life. In this episode, Hari Prasada and Michael introduce us to the idea of the freedom fantasy, a concept coined by Michael in his article by the same name. They explore the way we all go about searching for happiness and what it actually means to be free.

Podcast Hosts: Michael and Hari Prasada

Highlights

  • [2:00] What is the freedom fantasy?

  • [3:00] The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

  • [5:00] The inspiration behind the piece, “The Freedom Fantasy”

  • [7:00] Are you just not working hard enough for your happiness?

  • [9:00] Popular freedom fantasies

  • [11:30] The uncomfortable limbo that is necessary before happiness

  • [14:10] What is real freedom?

  • [15:00] The ego as the root of our lack of freedom

  • [19:40] The cost of believing our own freedom fantasy

  • [22:00] “The unexamined life is not worth living”

  • [24:40] “The ego is not our friend”

  • [25:40] Breaking free of the freedom fantasy

  • [30:20] The example of George Harrison

Quotes

  • “The freedom fantasy is the false belief…that I will be free, and therefore happy, when something about my life changes.” -Michael

  • “There is only one true type of freedom and that’s freedom from what our ego wants us to be.” -Michael

  • “How can I stop striving for freedom? It’s what humans are made out of.” -Michael

  • “The ego is not our friend.” -Hari Prasada

For first timers, welcome to Upbuilding the Self

About the podcast: Two former monks, a former startup founder and CEO, and a former equity derivatives trader dive into how to be our best selves, free from the ego. Our egos are the identities we create for ourselves and wish the world to validate, but when we are not seen as we want to be, we feel insecure. This podcast lives at the intersection of leadership and spirituality. It will help you understand your ego and shed light on your inner world so that you can act with greater clarity, compassion, and the freedom to be your best self.