"The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear."
This quote is widely attributed to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. And it's true—fear can become the darkest and most confining prison we inhabit. These prisons take many forms, shaped by different kinds of fear. Sometimes, they're built from imagined threats—fears that don’t even exist—yet they hold us back from living naturally, openly, and freely.
Children are often pointed to as examples of what it means to be truly free. If you watch a two-year-old, you'll notice they do exactly what they feel like doing. According to Don Miguel Ruiz, a child is “just like a flower, a tree, or an animal that has not been domesticated—wild.” The child is natural, spontaneous, and lives without the pressure of pleasing others or acting out of fear. In this uninhibited state, a child is often seen with a big, joyful smile.
But what happens to us as adults? Why do we live in fear and assume it's normal?
Don Ruiz offers two explanations for why we end up in the prisons of fear:
First, a child lives fully in the present moment. They explore their world freely and aren't afraid to play. Yes, they may feel sad or scared when they’re hurt or hungry, but as Ruiz notes, “they don’t worry about the past, don’t care about the future, and only live in the present moment.” While it’s true that adults need to plan ahead, living in the future often leads to fear and anxiety. That’s why Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). He reminds us that the present moment is where life truly happens, and it's where peace can be found.
Second, young children are not afraid to express their emotions—to love and to be loved. When offered love, they melt into it and give it back freely. Adults, on the other hand, often develop tough shells that block both receiving and giving love. It's a quiet tragedy to go through life with our hearts locked up, never allowing love to enter or flow out.
We need to reclaim our natural state—our birthright—to be happy and free. If we can begin to live more in the present and allow love to move freely through us, we can begin breaking free from fear’s prison. In doing so, we return to the joy, simplicity, and freedom we were always meant to live in.
Notes
Ruiz, D. M. (1997). The four agreements: A practical guide to personal freedom (pp. 94-95). Amber-Allen Publishing.
exactly .very true pic
ReplyDeleteWe need to have true friends
ReplyDeleteVery good article thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you. Truth.
ReplyDeleteThe aforementioned is an intense and profound article which needs some thought to respond accordingly.
ReplyDeleteI’ve come to see how fear can quietly take over—fear of what others think, fear of failure, even fear of not being enough. And so often, those fears aren’t based in reality, but in stories we’ve learned to believe. For me, walking with God has been the only real path to freedom from that. It's a spiritual journey of surrender—learning to trust that I’m held, even when life feels uncertain.
ReplyDeleteOne verse that stays with me is “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). When I remember that God’s love is perfect, constant, and unconditional, I feel the prison doors of fear start to open. It doesn’t mean I’m never afraid—but it means I don’t have to be ruled by it anymore. Bit by bit, I’m learning to live from a place of faith and freedom.
Thank you. Great quote. Don't worry be happy 😁
ReplyDelete