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Life is full of rules and boundaries and even though nobody really knows what is the “proper” way to spend our days by the book, many people still try to do their best to blend into different types of social settings and do what others expect them to do. It takes courage to be different, stand out and pursue your own dreams because it always comes with a price, but true free spirits are more than ready to take that risk. Society usually serves us restricted stereotypes when trying to define free-spirited people, but the real meaning goes far beyond the image of a hippie artist travelling around the world, pensive and solitary philosopher meditating in a rural setting or a careless individual lacking any sense of responsibility and desire to shape the future. So who are real free spirits and how to recognize them? Read on to find out more about it!
1. Free spirit pursues passions and lives life to the fullest
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Most people live success-oriented lives and spend their days making countless plans how to reach their goals. Their heads are full of ideas, probabilities and possible practical solutions for both real and potential problems to the point that it can become almost impossible to live in the moment and do something pleasurable which doesn’t necessarily have to be financially profitable. Free spirits refuse to renounce on what they truly love or believe in just because it doesn’t seem reasonable enough from the materialistic standpoint. They will pursue a career in arts or try to turn a hobby into their daily occupation even if all odds are against them and it doesn’t seem the wisest thing to do. What matters to a free spirited soul is the sense of happiness that comes from unlimited freedom – freedom to come and go when they decide, freedom to live their passions and have unrestricted time in their days for people and things they love the most. They understand the risks but they are willing to pay the price, without regrets. Free spirits simply have different priorities even though they don’t always stand that much out from the crowd at the first glance.
2. Free Spirit Doesn’t Like Pressure and Refuses to Change
You’ve probably heard many times that if people get pressed hard enough, they will do as requested. Some do it out of fear, sense of guilt and unwillingness to resist, while others don’t see any other way out or were simply taught that they have to obey the authority and stop rocking the boat if they have their own best interest at heart. Free spirits won’t succumb, no matter how hard you decide to push. They will do exactly the opposite – try to restrict them and they will run away as fast as they can, so bear this in mind if you can’t afford to lose a free spirited person. Also, don’t try to change a free spirit to tailor him or her to your needs, because this simply doesn’t work. If on the other hand you manage to let them be who they are, it doesn’t mean that they will ripe all the benefits – in all likelihood you’ll be blessed with unconditional friendship or love by someone who doesn’t fall for prejudices and who gives everybody and everything a chance, so it’s definitely worth the effort.
3. Free Spirit Doesn’t Mind Spending Time Alone
Their feelings of happiness come from the sense of freedom, and freedom is often associated with open space and independence. Free means untamed and unconstrained, free accepts no boundaries, sometimes not even those set by the mere presence of another person in the close proximity of the free spirit. They won’t mind spending time alone on a Friday or Saturday night enjoying a good book or favorite TV show, just as much as they will adore fresh air and golden rays of sun in a wonderful solitary natural setting. It doesn’t mean though that you can never get close to a free spirited soul – the advantage of having one in your life has to do with being able to do something on your own as well, without receiving complaints for not being available or present at all times.
4. Free Spirit is Spontaneous
You have big plans for your next vacations and you’re looking forward to it – you’ve planned your mornings, afternoons and evenings, you’ve researched the best tourist spots in both close and no so close proximity, you’ve made a thorough and detailed list of items to pack in your enormous suitcase and you own just about every tourist guide you’ve come across so far. Congratulations on a job well done, but there is just one little thing we would like to add to your massive to-do-list – please don’t take a free spirit to that trip. Their delicate nature rebels against any sort of oppressive control and they crave for spontaneity: a free spirit’s dream vacation comes with absolutely no instructions for use. We understand your shock, but if you want to have them by your side you’ll have to do things their way. Tear your lists, toss your guides and head for an adventure. You’ll get up when you wake up and you’ll eat when and if you feel like it. You can either spend the entire day in the hotel room or wander around to your heart’s content, but that is something to choose on the spur of the moment. Now don’t get anxious over this totally outrageous lack of control, just relax and go with the flow – who knows, you might even end up liking it.
5. Free Spirit Doesn’t Ask “What If…”
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Hypothetical questions are just not their style. They are totally surprised to hear what can get on the mind of an average moderately anxious person while thinking about his or her potentially unpleasant or terribly dangerous future. Things like “what if I make a complete fool of myself…” or “what if something horrific happens to me if I do this or that…” seem not to bother them at all. Free spirits understand that they have no control over certain things in life that don’t depend on their personal actions, so they will rather spend time on things they can do something about. They usually search for quite innovative and bold solutions to life problems tailored to their personal beliefs, which is not something average people can easily accept. However, next time you decide to dismiss some of their totally unconventional theories without giving them a second thought, think twice – some of the best and most creative ideas were lost because they weren’t strictly by the rules.
Have you recognized yourself or someone you know in these descriptions? Feel completely free to share your free-spirited opinions with us!
