Ever notice how eager a young child is to master new skills? An infant is motivated to learn from a very early age how to turnover, crawl, walk, hold a bottle, drink from a cup. Often a child is intensely focused on developing skills towards independence… not for a monetary reward or to get external approval, but for a personal sense of accomplishment. A well-intended adult trying to assist may be rebuffed by the child who is intent on doing it himself.

The drive toward mastery is a powerful innate force within all of us. The need to learn and develop new behaviors and skills is built into our DNA. Acquiring survival skills is the key to the continuation of the human race. Beyond the physical need to survive; however, there is another even more compelling reason why we strive to excel. We are born to push through our perceived boundaries – to stretch beyond our limitations because we want to know who we are and what we are capable of accomplishing. The thrill of surpassing our previous set point in a particular field of focus is what compels athletes, scientists, artists, and every person on the planet.

Our desire for freedom from self-imposed limitations springs forth from our most elemental self, our spiritual core. Our essential nature is unbounded; so we continually long to experience that same exhilaration and joy in our daily lives. Some people choose physical challenges, some mental challenges, and some learn to transcend the human body to explore the nonphysical realms. All are attempts to align with our Spirit in a way that feels deeply satisfying and fulfilling. The drive toward growth and mastery are the result of undeniable internal forces that move the human race forward toward its own evolution and expansion. And the desire for freedom is at the basis of all of this purposeful activity.

We are born to be free. We can suppress this desire, but we can’t extinguish it. We can deny it, but it will eventually surface as an even stronger need to be expressed and experienced. Freedom is our nature, our biology, our essence. It is who we are and who we will always be. We will forever be challenging ourselves to expand beyond our limitations of mind and body. We must be free to choose and to be more than we were the day before. It is our destiny.