In times characterized by massive change, one thing is truer than ever: freedom is the new security. In this article, you will find out why this is the case, how best to deal with it and what specific steps are recommended. However, we want to start with an important realization. That the security that so many people strive for is actually only a supposed security.
Security is just an illusion
Humans are creatures of habit. They feel particularly comfortable when they are on safe ground and can fall back on familiar behaviors. For this reason, many people choose the same route to work every day, eat in the same restaurants over and over again, talk about the same topics and have been spending their vacation in the same hotel in Mallorca for fifteen years.
These familiar processes and environments simply give us a sense of security. We need this to feel good. But as is so often the case, the dose makes the poison. While it is highly advisable to adopt as many powerful and effective routines as possible, the bad and slowing ones Habits directly into the notorious comfort zone. This is characterized above all by comfort and, in its extreme form, even by phlegm and lethargy.
Giving up freedom for security
In addition, the price for the supposed security within the status quo can very quickly skyrocket. The more comfortably you settle in and the more often you do the same things over and over again, the less you learn and use the huge potential, that lies dormant within you.
If you only ever do what you have always done, always draw on the same skills and knowledge, and always think what you have always thought, then you will only ever achieve the same results that you have always achieved. And that also means that you will remain who you are today.
So let's not even talk about it. In the best-case scenario, this means standstill for you, but in most cases it means a step backwards. Or as Benjamin Franklin put it in a nutshell: „Those who give up freedom for security will end up losing both.“
Freedom versus security: an eternal struggle
To verify this statement, all you need to do is ask around a little. It's not for nothing that language is also known as the clothing of thought. Phrases such as »Where would we get there?«, »It won't work like this«, »I can't do it« or, of course, the infamous »Why should I change anything? I've always done it this way« form the perfect basis for a well-groomed »keep it up«, so as not to take the first step in the process. Shift to have to go.
As is so often the case, the Comfort zone The devil is in the detail. Habit and indifference do not appear in your life out of the blue with a bang, but gradually and almost unnoticed take up more and more space in your everyday life. It feels good, which is why you usually don't even notice that you are becoming more and more comfortable in your own comfort zone.
Freedom or security: which is more important to you?
By the time you realize it, it will be too late. It then takes a great deal of effort to break out of the lethargy of mediocrity and break new ground. Not exactly a particularly effective strategy, is it?
The reason why it is sometimes so hard to break through the mental barriers and outside of comfortable opinions, Decisions and behavioral patterns lies in another important factor of the Shift: Unconsciously, you are always weighing up two Values that are diametrically opposed to each other.
I'm talking about security on the one hand and freedom on the other. Because these two values cannot be reconciled, an unconscious process takes place that ultimately causes you to choose either security or freedom. And now we are back to the subject of the gray area, which unfortunately does not exist in this case. There is only black or white. You can either have security or freedom. You can't have both at the same time. A little bit of freedom with a large portion of security is unfortunately not possible.
Freedom is the new security: the famous comfort zone
A real dilemma. Security is one of the most important basic human needs. Or rather: the feeling of security. Because in reality, it is usually only a supposed feeling of security. But people unconsciously do everything they can to constantly have this feeling of security. And then they give in to an illusion that they feel deep down is just a shaky construct that will collapse at the first shock.
There is a relatively simple way of thinking behind this: You know what you have. You may not be one hundred percent satisfied, but you have come to terms with the circumstances. And then thoughts like: »Who knows if it won't get worse.« Now we're back to guarantees. Nobody knows what the future holds. Any project can fail.
Every castle in the air can dissolve into itself. And every dream can also burst. To avoid this possible failure, you prefer to stick with what you have. You opt for the feeling of security and against the possibilities of freedom. And it is precisely with this kind of thinking that you permanently settle into your comfort zone.
Freedom is the new security: if you dare
I would therefore like to invite you to look at these things from a completely different perspective. I am a Keynote Speaker and Business Coach I travel a lot and therefore often stay in hotels. And I use this time for one of my favorite pastimes: I lie stretched out on my bed and flick through the TV channels. There are a few programs that I particularly enjoy watching, for example “Rach, the restaurant tester”. In this award-winning format, star chef Christian Rach rescues ailing restaurants from the threat of bankruptcy by helping the owners to let go of mediocre concepts and change themselves.
He once worked near Berlin with a restaurant owner who was not doing particularly well, but not really badly either. The quality of food and service was mediocre, as were the number of customers and sales. And here's the curious thing: the man had a big dream in his head, but not the courage to put it into practice. His standard excuse was: »Who can tell me that it will really work?«
I was very impressed by Christian Rach's answer. He said: »Nobody gives you a guarantee and nobody knows whether you will be successful with the new concept in the end. But a dream can only come true if you have one. You have one. And that sets you apart from 99 percent of the people out there. Believe in yourself and do your best. You'll learn the rest along the way all by yourself.« This is the philosophy of „freedom is the new security“ in its purest form.
New paths require courageous decisions
Breaking new ground requires courage. All the inventions in history, the great ideas, the daring dreams and epoch-making developments lay outside the comfort zones of those who realized them. They were always the result of crazy plans, uncomfortable decisions and consistent implementation. You can admire the Eiffel Tower in Paris today because Gustave Eiffel had the courage to leave his comfort zone. Black people now have the same rights as white people because people like Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks had the courage to take uncomfortable actions. And the digital revolution is only taking place so rapidly today because Konrad Zuse (considered the inventor of the modern computer) seized the opportunity in 1941 to choose the freedom of his daring idea over the security of the familiar.
We should be grateful to people like him, because otherwise we would still be writing our letters with a pen today, traveling from Berlin to Frankfurt in two weeks by horse-drawn carriage or even preparing our food over an open fire. Any progress, any growth and any change can only ever take place outside our own comfortable comfort zone.
Personal freedom becomes the new security
Much greater than the risk of freedom is the blind trust in a security that never exists anyway. It only exists in your head. It is an illusion that can vanish into thin air at any time. Above all, however, it is dependent on external factors that you can never fully influence. The world is changing rapidly. The constants of the past are rapidly losing their validity. Job security has long since ceased to exist. The various currencies, the climate and the global economy are equally unstable. In this uncertain environment, there is only one constant. And that is you.
Take your fate into your own hands. The more you develop your own freedom, the more security you will feel. I would even argue that it will be your only chance to actively change and stay one step ahead of external circumstances. In the changes of the next few years, one thing will apply more than ever: freedom is the new security. And therefore the only constant you can rely on. But to achieve this, you first need to change your way of thinking and then leave your comfort zone.
Freedom is the new security: the 4 most important questions of the future
To make this easier for you, I would like to provide you with a simple early warning system that clearly shows you the potential risks of different courses of action. It consists of four short but effective questions:
- What happens when I change?
- What happens if I don't change?
- What doesn't happen when I change?
- What won't happen if I don't change?
These four questions will quickly give you clarity about the most important cornerstones of any change. You will become aware of the opportunities and possibilities without overlooking the risks. You will also get a quick overview of the effects of possible decisions on the various networks in your life. Above all, however, you will hold a mirror up to yourself, which will help you to leave your comfort zone and grow as a result. Because never forget one thing. In an ever faster pace of change, freedom is the new security.
What experiences have you had? I look forward to your comment.
Best regards
Yours, Ilya Grzeskovits
German 
English 
German 
English