Nomad got something started with her question about Mindsay profile pictures. I used it for an excuse to blog and gave my explanation in my blog -- to which sharonevolving gave a tremendous reply, "I actually picked mine based on an energy I would like to bring more of into my life."

Following sharonevolving’s line of thought, to choose a picture that depicted how I currently see myself is simply reinforcing that image, with all it’s multi-faceted inuendos, into my subconscious. Though the ‘me’ I see may not necessarily be all bad, there are certainly many areas of who I am and how I live my life that could stand some improving. As I said in yesterday’s blog, I saw the running girl as pretty much summarizing how I approach life -- always on the run -- running FROM it, running INTO it, running AT it, trying to run AWAY from it -- no matter the direction, I’m always RUNNING, full throttle.

I’m tired. I’m tired of running. Therefore I’ve chosen another profile picture, one that speaks more of where I WANT to be, rather than reinforcing where I am. I see the picture of the bird flying out of the cage as a release from bondage. No matter how nice a bird cage, nor how comfortable a home it may provide the bird, it is still a cage whose purpose is to confine, control, and limit the movement of the inhabitant. Birds are given wings with which to fly, but when confined to a cage, he cannot exercise this gift of flight.

In many religions, birds are sometimes seen as symbolical of thoughts and reasonings. One way in which I would like to change is to see my own cage doors opened, that I may fly. Put another way, I don’t want my thoughts to remain confined to the prison of the weaknesses in my belief system. If the bird is the thought, the cage is the BELIEF that determines the thought’s boundaries. I want my thoughts and ideas to be released from beliefs that limit them from ‘evolving’ as Sharon so aptly puts it -- free from the deceitful belief that I ‘CAN’T’ -- whatever the endeavor may be.

"As a man thinks, so is he."

If I think myself to be locked in the prison of circumstance, so shall I live my life as a prisoner. If I think myself to be a victim, I will BE a victim. If I think myself to be defeated, I will BE defeated. Likewise, if I think myself to be freed from my confinements, I will be free. If I think myself to be an overcomer, I will overcome, etc.

So, with my new free bird picture, I invite the ‘energy’ of freedom to overtake me -- not necessarily the release from uncomfortable and stifling circumstances, but freedom to ‘see’ those circumstances from different perspectives -- freedom to respond to those circumstances from a higher vantage point -- freedom to believe that all things are possible.