The term Free Spirit is something I’m sure we’re all familiar with but what do you think of when you hear it? What image do you conjure up in your mind? Perhaps it’s a young girl wandering through a meadow barefoot, or an elderly earth mother who tends to her garden.
Maybe you’ve been told you’re or free spirit or wondered what it means if you are? In modern society, this catchphrase is saved for people who buck societal norms, people who are spontaneous and live a life by their very own rules. However, being a free spirit is more than a catchphrase, it can be a way of life, a mindset, and a path to freedom.
But what does being a free spirit truly mean? Read on to find out.
What Is A Free spirit?
A free spirit is someone who lives by their own rules, unafraid of the future, of judgment from others, and unafraid of who they really are. Society has instilled in many of us from a very young age what it means to be successful and what will make us happy. With a large number of the population of the earth disillusioned by the world we live in, it may be correct to say that what we have been taught is a lie.
And free spirits already know this.
At their core, they are fuelled by authentic interactions and experiences with a strong desire to explore. Whether that be exploring the world or diving deep into who they are and embarking on a lifelong journey of self-discovery.
Free spirits are very in tune with, not only their intuition but what they want and need and they explore this without worrying about what others think.
The regularly nomadic hippy lifestyle community, and natural living-based community, are fantastic representations of what a commonly free spirit desires. They have shirked the pressure of conforming to what society, family, and friends expect from them and live life in a way that may seem odd, strange, or just plain weird to outside viewers.
A free spirit hates to be bored. This dislike for boredom breads a wealth of creativity – it may present in ways such as taking up painting or dancing, natural gardening, herbology and that’s just to name a few.
The foundation of being a free spirit is freedom. Freedom to be who you are, like and love what you want, and go wherever the whimsy takes you.
However, a free spirit is not an unending pool of positivity. Being a free spirit in our society has its difficulties. They can feel lonely, especially when surrounded by conforming individuals. They can feel very misunderstood, with their desire to travel, live simply, and move out of the rat race being construed as immaturity, irresponsibility, stubbornness, and even laziness.
But as long as the heart of a free spirit is full and satisfied these misunderstandings can be like water off of a duck’s back.
10 Signs You’re A Free Spirit
Now you know what it means to be a free spirit, here are 10 signs that may mean you are a free spirit.
You Are Fiercely Independent
Free Spirits crave personal space and time alone. Although they have no problem getting along with others they are incredibly comfortable doing things by themselves. Whether this is making big life decisions alone, or just needing a few hours every week to focus on themselves and no one else.
Very rarely do they seek out opinions from others as they have a lot of faith in their own decisions. They know that even with outside input they’re unlikely to follow others’ advice. Free spirits do not allow others to sway their movements and if something doesn’t feel right, they won’t do it.
Romantic relationships can be a bit fraught at times, a free spirit will feel very claustrophobic in a relationship if it seems to be encroaching on his/her needs to be alone and it won’t take long for them to move on to something new.
You Are A Wanderlust Adventurer
The world really is your oyster and free spirits don’t waste any opportunity to see it. Traveling on a whim is common with free spirits, they’re nomadic at heart. Seeking out experiences and friendships all over the globe.
Free-spirited people value these adventures over material objects and possessions. Life is for living and to them, it’s a waste to spend it in one single place. However, what if you can’t afford to travel? Are you still a free spirit if you’re not roaming the Namibian desert?
Of course, this wanderlust adventuring is merely a state of mind. If you love to explore your neighborhood, town, city. Taking in every sight. Meeting new people and trying new foods. This is still very much the adventuring heart of a free spirit.
You Love Who You Are
Free spirits are very sure of themselves and love who they are. They love their unique style, their facial features, the way they think, and the way their body moves. Very rarely do they focus on who they wish they could be because find deep enjoyment and fulfillment in the person they are right now.
Many free spirits find they are judged for unconventional fashion styles but they dress and style themselves for no-one else but them. Their comfort, joy, and style are valued above anyone else’s opinion of how they look.
You Are Full Of Courage
Free spirits are bold and courageous. They very rarely allow fear to dictate their decisions. Taking giant leaps of faith is commonplace and, because of this lack of fear, they regularly land on their feet. When they do fear or doubt what the future holds they don’t allow these emotions to hold them back.
Free spirits never hold back from dealing with issues or situations just because they are physically difficult or challenge their emotions. In fact, this spurs them forward even faster as they love to rise to a challenge.
This is why a free spirit is usually the type of person you call when you need help in a difficult situation. Their courage is something non-free spirits desire.
You Don’t Live To Work
People who are free spirits at heart understand that without money there are many things we wouldn’t be able to afford that is necessary for our survival. However, they don’t revolve their entire value as a human being around their job. They work purely to fund the things they need and enjoy, their job isn’t their whole personality and is just a means to an end.
You’ll find that many free spirits don’t work 9-to-5 jobs as they can feel stifling and claustrophobic. They may start their own businesses or work remotely so that they can continue to travel and see the world.
You Are Less Judgemental
Free spirits are very open-minded and tend to have a fairly non-judgmental attitude. This makes them very open and accepting of many different types of people. This lack of judgment can also make them a safe place for many other people who feel bullied, persecuted, or abused as they know they can speak freely around a free-spirited friend.
You Live Unconventionally
Quirky, hippy, weird. Whatever word people use, a free spirit never feels the desire to live the way everyone else does. Rarely following the road, a free spirit follows their heart rather than the predetermined path society wishes for them to follow.
Even a free spirits’ choices seem unconventional. Although their choices may make little sense to others, this doesn’t concern them or change their minds.
You Shy away From Long-Term Commitments
As we said before, many free spirits are entirely misunderstood. Their lack of fulfillment garnered through long-term commitments is one reason. The free-spirited person knows that opportunities can arise at any moment, that decisions and beliefs can change. They know that just because they feel one way today doesn’t mean they will feel like that tomorrow.
This is why free spirits shy away from long-term commitments in work and also relationships. The free spirit understands that many will not understand them and it’s far easier when you aren’t being held down by commitments that stifle your creativity and freedom.
You Daydream Often
Free spirits have minds that love to wander. This isn’t due to boredom, or an inability to focus but really, it’s because they love to plan. Whether it’s their next adventure, their goals, or dreams. Daydreaming is the free spirits notepad.
It may look like they are being very unproductive but it is quite the opposite. Daydreaming is how a free spirit knows where they’re going. It’s how they focus and concentrate. It’s just more imagery-based than to-do lists.
You Live Life With Joy
Now, this is not to say that free spirits don’t have down days but they really are beings full of positive joy. They live life to its fullest, seeing the positive experiences they have enjoyed – even if they weren’t so positive at the time. They value how short our lives can be and refuse to waste a moment of it on something that doesn’t light up their soul.
This joyful authenticity can sometimes cause people to shy away from them. It’s hard to be around someone who is emotionally enjoying life the way you wish you could but the free spirit doesn’t allow this to concern them and continues to draw every ounce of light and positivity from their experiences.
The Free Spirit And Spiritual Awakening
Many of us go through life only tapping at the doors of spiritual awakenings and then shying away when it gets a little scary. However, the free spirit naturally walks a path that is deeper and more knowing. They understand their own heart and soul already and refuse to allow society to crush them.
They are constantly on a journey of self-development, free from society’s confines. Free spirits are by nature people intent on searching their souls for deeper meaning, fuller joy, and authentic connection.
While many of us find spiritual awakenings difficult, and even sometimes traumatic. A free spirit is aligned with their spiritual awakening, it’s no longer something happening to them but rather a journey they have consciously embarked upon.
6 Tips For How You Can Be A Free Spirit
Very few of us are naturally born free spirits, it’s a path of self-exploration that some of us stumble upon and others desperately search for. If you don’t believe you are a free spirit just yet, but you want to feel that freedom and self-assurance I’m here to tell you that becoming a free spirit is entirely possible – as long as you are prepared to take a really good hard look at what and how your life currently serves you.
You may find on your journey to become a free spirit that relationships will need to be cast aside if they are holding you back – or worse holding you down. Your job or career may turn out to be the one thing that dampens your positivity and is harming your awakening. This may mean it is important for you to look for a new job. One that lights the fires of creativity.
Before traveling this path you need to decide what you truly want out of your life. Where do you see yourself in 5 years, is it strolling through the jungles of Peru, sipping coffee on a Parisian side-street, or stepping out onto the porch of your countryside cottage?
You will need to dig deep inside yourself to find out what you truly need and desire. Once you have worked it out you will need to make those changes that are necessary to facilitate this new life of yours.
So if you are ready to begin, I have some tips to help you unleash your inner free spirit.
Keep Exploring
It doesn’t matter what you explore, whether you hop on a plane to a far-flung paradise, or you make a point of looking inside that cave on your local beach. Exploring is at the heart of a free spirit. You can never truly know yourself if you don’t force yourself out of your comfortable spaces and into the wide-open world.
It might not even be a physical exploration. Dive deep into a brand new hobby that provides you with joyful challenges, experience different spiritualities, and religions. Learn about the people that surround you. Exploring is more than hiking the Himalayas. Exploring is part of every facet of our lives.
Find Kindred Spirits
The lifestyle of a free spirit can be lonely at times, finding those who think like you, explore like you, and appreciate people like you is key to enjoying life as a free spirit. Although free spirits aren’t wholly affected by those who misunderstand them, they still need a small community of like-minded people who they can bounce off of, commune with, and to help fuel your lifestyle.
Reconnect With Nature
Free spirits are very intuitive and joyful people. Our disconnection from nature as a society has inhibited our intuition and this skill is very important if you want to live more free-spirited. Get outside every day. Being barefoot as often as possible helps reignite our natural connections. There’s something special about feeling the energy of the earth through the souls of our feet.
I know not all of us live close enough to a national park, but any form of nature is enough. As long as you feel at peace and give yourself time to re-accustom yourself to the beauty of being outside you will find you are more centered, more are of who you are, and more appreciative of your time outside.
Feel Your Feelings
Many of us live lives where we feel unable to share how we feel. So, I’m here to tell you it’s time to feel those feelings. Allow them to rise to the surface. Being a free spirit is all about being able to recognize your emotions, know what’s making you feel that way, and change your environment if it doesn’t make you feel good.
You can’t become a free spirit if you are not in tune with your emotions, or choose to ignore them because the quiet life seems to be the easier life. If you have been a meek and quiet person up until now you can expect to feel resistance from those around you to this new, blog, and self-assured you.
You may even lose people you thought were important to your happiness because they just can’t get on board with the you who now vocalizes how you feel and lets people know if they make you sad, angry, or uncomfortable. This is one of the sacrifices – for the better – you will have to make on your free spirit journey.
Let Go Of False Positivity
Even though the free-spirited person s full of positivity and joy. They are not falsely positive. This kind of – fake it till you make it – attitude can be incredibly harmful when it comes to how authentically you understand yourself. This toxic positivity, where you feel you have to be happy on the outside, even if you feel low on the inside, won’t foster a deep knowing of yourself.
All you are doing is blocking off who you really are, slowing down your journey, and confusing your own intuition. Much like above, we have to allow ourselves to feel our emotions, it’s not natural to feel positive all the time. A free spirit knows this, and so they give themselves all the tools to work through low periods rather than toxically avoid them altogether.
Forget About Being Perfect
Life isn’t perfect. You are not perfect. None of us are. This desire for perfection. Whether it’s to have the perfect home, the perfect hairdo, the perfect relationship, or the perfect job. It’s unattainable. Perfection is the wall between you and a life of freedom, passion, and creativity. Without failure, we would never succeed. Mistakes are the building blocks we need to work out who we are.
Forget about the need to be perfect. You’ll never get to that goal. Instead focus on how incredibly your experiences are, focus on the beauty of the imperfections, and thrive in the knowledge that your mistakes are also your successes.
Are You Ready To Live The Free Spirit Life?
Being a free spirit can feel like an overwhelming journey. The longer you have shied away from who you are, what you love, and where you want to be. The harder your path will be, the sacrifices you have to make may seem impossible but they will be worth it when you are finally living a life of authenticity, creativity, and pure joy.
Being a free spirit is a lifestyle we can all embark on. It just depends on whether you have the courage to take the first step.