Book Inspiration: The Stoic Virtues Series: Dicipline is Destiny: The power of Self Control – Ryan Holiday – A teacher and keeper of The Old
Unbounded freedom — enslavement, destruction.
Bounded freedom — freedom, growth.
If we give our bodies, cravings, appetites, desires, and addictions the gift of freedom, we give our freedom away, becoming enslaved to the worst parts of ourselves and choosing self-destruction.
If we give our bodies, cravings, appetites, desires, and addictions the gift of temperance, we grant ourselves freedom, becoming grounded like a tree of wisdom and choosing growth.
Most of us aspire to greater things yet find one thing constantly in our way – ourselves. The worst part of ourselves have freedom to roam within us. This is the root cause of much of our own pain and suffering as well as that of the world. Although circumstances out of our control in the world do cause us to suffer, such as being born in a poverty stricken country, those of us born with stability and some measure of abundance would do well to look in the mirror.
It is not easy to ground ourselves and temper our worst impulses. But it can be done. Such is a timeless teaching of the old. You will find many quotes saying if you want to change the world, first change yourself.
We can start even smaller. If you want to change your life, change yourself and how you treat yourself.
Freedom is not a license to allow our worst impulses to run wild like rabid beasts. Freedom is a gift to allow our worst impulses less freedom so they do not bully our best impulses.
Freedom is for the best of us, not the worst of us.
To see the beautiful ideal of freedom in the world, we must each temper the freedom of our inner beast, so the freedom of our inner King and Queen may rule instead.
Paradox freedom.
Opposite: Sometimes, the inner beast is needed if we are too weak to defend ourselves and our lives. This is when the inner beast is our ally in a mission for something good, to fight for an ideal. The inner beast, when tamed and not chained out of fear, can be a powerful ally to our inner king and queen.
Tame the beast, do not chain the beast.
KEEP THE OLD WARM 
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