I made the point in part 1 that often our dreams for the future are really just our way of trying to right the injustices of our youth. The drive to “prove them all wrong” or “have what I deserve” drowns out our actual purpose. We trick ourselves into believing that is all life is about. I realized, in my life, that is exactly what happened.

I feel I need to clarify, though, I am NOT unhappy with my life. I am blessed.  Is my husband the only man for me? YES! Is my house nice? UNDOUBTEDLY! Are my daughters amazing? YES and YES! Are my fur babies cute? SO VERY!  My actual life has surpassed all my dreams.  Why then do I say I made my own prison?

In the Gongmen Jail scene of Kung Fu Panda 2, we encountered heroes who were willingly imprisoned.  There are 2 places in the scene that break my heart and get me all fired up. At the beginning of the scene Po finds Master Croc and Master Storming Ox in jail. From outside their bars he says, “We’re gonna free you from those bonds of injustice, no problem!”   Honestly, that’s exactly how my prison can be described. I was so intent on righting the injustices that I became imprisoned by the notion. I’ll add that it would be easy to stay imprisoned too because once it’s righted the impetus shifts to keeping it righted. I attribute that to why so many happy homes don’t stay that way. That is why it is so important to me to fix my life focus. I do not want to spend all my available energy fighting a battle that was never mine to fight. I believe life is about more than righting injustices. I believe that all of us were created with a purpose.

This is the point where your worldview starts to matter. As for me, I believe we were all created by the one true God. I have met all kinds of people that believe differently or believe nothing at all. I have met many of those people inside the walls of churches I have attended. My beliefs aren’t simply a religious experience. I actually believe in a living God who created me. I also believe that, if God was not real, life would be a haphazard, pointless experience. Without a higher power with a higher plan nothing really matters. We work, sleep, eat & repeat until we die for nothing but simply the experience of it. I find that hopeless and sad.

My prison was built because of misplaced focus. I was helped along by our culture’s favorite bogus goal to sell to little girls – married with kids, while picket fence, nice neighborhood, etc. Because I believe God exists, naturally I can’t deny the existence of His enemy. I believe that the enemy told lie after lie that kept me from realizing that life is about more than my family, lifestyle or close associations. I never believed I had anything to offer. I didn’t believe I would be a good wife, mother, friend or anything else. I saw myself as weird, broken, and basically worthless. So I put on my brave face and did my level best at keeping the injustices righted. But, I was unhappy. I had a niggling notion that I was missing something big in life. I started to remember the things I dreamed about as a child, when I didn’t have to worry about where I would live, who I married, etc.  I realized I still had a draw and a natural ability for those things.

Here come the bolt cutters.

The most important two lines in the movie scene were these:
Po: Fine! You stay in your prison of fear with bars made of hopelessness and all you get are three square meals a day of shame
Master Croc: with despair for dessert
Those words landed so heavy on me. They landed heavy on me because God created us to be millions of passionate Po’s running around contributing towards His higher purpose. We are important to the story. The best thing I can do for myself and others is to not squander or let others discourage my value. Why in the world would I stay in a prison of my own making? I don’t want to.

Think about what you are naturally good at, or at least fascinated by. Perhaps in your case, like mine, those abilities were shelved years ago, and left undeveloped. I’ve enjoyed writing since elementary school. I believed, though, that I would never be any good at it. Maybe I won’t. The truth is it doesn’t matter. If writing is my purpose and it impacts even one person then I am fulfilling my purpose. That makes me excited! That makes me free of my prison. 

You can be free too. You are more than your address or your marital status. You are more than what’s in your bank account or how many followers you have on social media. You were created with a purpose. Go find it!