There is an old tale of great current significance. Allow me to share. There was once a man who created a beautiful zoo, and charged $50 for the entry fee. No one paid it. He then charged $40 per head, yet no one came. The price went down steadily to $10 yet no visitors. Till one day he made it free and all came and marveled at the zoo. He let the lions out, locked the doors and everyone paid $500 to get out.
The moral of the story is not about the cunning zoo keeper, or about greed but about things that appear to be free are not in fact free at all. When we see things are free, we are in fact the product. If we look at the social media network they are worth billions and billions all because they hold our attention that they bought for “free”. Our time is “spent” endlessly scrolling through mostly meaningless content, and they get paid with ads.
When we are given “free “food viz a vis special discounts, it is usually at junk food establishments ( dispensaries most like it) that fill our cells and bodies with unhealthy materials.
When we try to get “free “bottled water, we are enjoying the micro plastics that come with the water and stay long term in our brain and tissues as contaminants.
When Halloween comes around the trick and treating rounds delivers great bucket loads of processed candies, sugary treats which even though appear “free”, we pay for later with harmful effects on the body and digestive system long term.
These are just a few examples of what we think is free comes at a great hidden cost to us personally. We are the product and not just the consumer.
Yet there are things that are free in this universe. The ability to say “ thank you”, or unconditionally saying “ I love you”, respecting ourselves and others, taking the time to finding oneself while walking on a beach or lying in grass. Meditation or breath work, silent contemplation, journaling about our lives. Surrendering to the Divine, letting go of doubts and fears or judgements are all free for us to do. These are “free” choices to be made.
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I love you
