Freedom is what most people, especially teenagers and those in their early twenties, crave. The loudest stories at a party are those of freedom, while those with stories of commitment listen. Commitment is shunned, only to be rediscovered later. To be more precise, commitment is often found to have been present all along, even during the phase of free adventures. It turns out freedom, commitment, attachment and responsibilities are all interconnected.

Freedom is what you experience as you can act or think without limitations imposed by external factors. It is remarkable how this definition is not contradictory with commitment. You are free to commit to a purpose, and allow yourself to restrict your general freedom before choosing between alternatives to gain a freedom of having made a choice and following that path. What is is usually superior to all that could have been, but isn’t.

Commitment would be a deliberate choice to dedicate yourself to a goal or relationship. It involves consistency, sacrifices and working towards a shared vision. You would expect commitment to be detrimental to your experienced freedom, but by deliberately committing yourself to a course of action, you free yourself from doubts and hesitations. While you are not free in the sense of available options, you are free in living a chosen life without worry about the endless possibilities.

Attachment is an emotional bond between you and another person or object. You can recognise your attachments by sensing comfort, security and closeness. By detaching yourself from outcomes and relationships you become free to pursue your own path. You need a healthy amount of attachment to protect, but being overly reliant on something can lead to lack of responsibility. 

Responsibility refers to acting in accordance with a promise you made, an expectation you have to meet or to deal with the consequences of your actions. You can only be truly free if you also take responsibility for your actions, so you can steer your own life by making your own choices. Committing yourself leads to heightened levels of responsibility, as you are more likely to take ownership and fulfill obligations.

Taking care of a dog has taught me on this journey. It is obvious that over time you build attachment to the dog as you share experiences and share time and space together. A sane person would definitely commit to caring for the dog, as she needs your help. It is you who decided to take her into your household, so it is up to you to care for your dog until she dies. You are responsible for feeding and walking the dog, or asking a friend to do it for you when you can’t.

You are free to explore your life as a dog owner and experience what it’s like with a dog companion instead of wondering what it would be like. It will be harder to get some experiences such as sleeping at a hotel or staying away from home for many hours at a time. You will get new opportunities in return, such as instead opting to go camping more often, or taking your dog with you when you go out. You might meet new people on the streets because of your dog, or join a dog training club.

Freedom is seen as the most fun one out of the four, but commitment, attachment and responsibility are equally necessary. Freedom without the others will feel void after a while. I would argue that you only get to experience true freedom if you additionally implement commitment, attachment and responsibility.

Must-reads

• Shinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest-Bathing by Qing Li
• The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben
• The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion — Surprising Observations of a Hidden World by Peter Wohlleben
• The Weather Detective: Rediscovering Nature’s Secret Signs by Peter Wohlleben
• Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
• The Bird Way A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman

There is something magical about nature, both a local city park, or a tall mountain range, that raises feelings of spirituality such as belonging, understanding, wonder and calmness. A simple walk, or even a bath, in the forest does wonders to the spirit. The activity and the environment both reduce stress levels.

There’s much to learn about nature’s function, relationships and intricacies. You can dive as deep into this topic as you’d like, as nature expands whenever you take a closer look. What seems like a field of grass to us actually consists of many different grasses, even more non-grass plants and even more non-plant life. Everything has its role in the niche that it’s grown into. I take joy in observing a bee feed on nectar and pollinating flowers in return. Forms of life can share functions: even we as humans can pollinate flowers by hand.

By exploring the vast variety nature offers in terms of species and relationships between them you place the human species in perspective. Yes, we can domesticate and dominate, but we’re also bound to our place in the complex web of interactions. Even though we’re large compared to the plants and wildlife in our garden, we are small compared to trees. We have an undeniably great influence on nature, yet are only a fraction of all activity on Earth.

None of this knowledge is necessary to enjoy the spiritual benefit of being in nature. It is enough to simply be there and breathe. You can additionally add observing to the experience. See which structures exist stationary and which objects move. Listen to the sound of nature’s forces and the cries of wildlife. Feel the textures of the rocks and grass you’re trotting on. It’s humbling how you can spend so much money and time training on an activity to become better at it and enjoy it more, but this activity of being in nature is so purely free and indiscriminately accessible to everyone.