There is no use in fighting it anymore, you can’t outwit fate.  We’ve all been wasting an afternoon and seen one of the seven Final Destination movies where a group of people cheat death but it was their time so they all get killed in the most bizarre ways possible because you just can’t cheat death.  The movement is kinda’ like that without all the death, misery, gore, bad acting and continuous play on TnT. The basic lesson remains!

This weekend proved to me that while CarFreeBrad itself may not be sweeping the nation, another less heralded social movement has developed a nice little undercurrent.  It is bubbling just below the surface waiting for just the right time (and my signal) to rise up and become the juggernaut it was meant to be.  For those of you that aren’t “in the know”, this movement I’m referring to is the “free me” movement.  Allow me to explain!

This CarFreeBrad.com experiment started out with no clear-cut goals, but one of my top aspirations was for it to act a catalyst for change.  Not a physical change but mental flexibility.  I had no grandiose hopes that people would read my asinine posts and start biking everywhere, although that would be really cool!  My most ambitious goal was for people to think a bit differently.  I had assumed the change would be about their cars, driving and how it relates to daily life, but I failed to take into account the big picture.

I realized I was starting to make a dent a few weeks ago when some of my friends started to make fun of me and CarFreeBrad.com.  Nothing malicious, just lighthearted ribbing that happens amongst friends.  But that small step meant that they had to think about CarFreeBrad.com in order to make fun of me for it.  This past weekend a friend with whom I just happen to share the same last name made me realize that the movement was shifting and taking on a life of its own.  It was morphing into the larger “Free Me” movement that encompasses all things that were once luxuries that have become assumed.  During one session of poking fun, the conversation turned to Television.  He proclaimed he was going to give up TV and write about the experience on TvFreeDan.com.  This may not seem groundbreaking or funny but it’s certainly not the first time someone has made this joke with a random aspect of their daily life.

I’ve realized that we all have aspects of current life that we want to change.  Change is hard!  It’s hard to initiate change and even harder to maintain it for any period of time but the same reason AA and Jenny Craig work so well for millions of people is the same reason the “Free Me” movement is gaining momentum.  The knowledge that you aren’t alone in your struggle and that other people are having a really tough time not watching TV, going on Facebook or using their car is comforting and provides that little extra motivation to keep at it.  “One day at a time” may become the adopted slogan of the “Free Me” movement.  Regardless, it applies and works!

It’s Monday morning and no one wants to do any mental heavy lifting so I’m not going to ask you to do much.  Spend the next few days thinking about your “Free Me” movement.  Let me know what aspect of your life you “always wanted to change” but life itself keeps getting in the way.  If you don’t have any serious changes you would like to make then you can simply make fun of me and the movement by coming up with the most ridiculous “Free Me” types you can think of.

I’ll start: 

CarbFreeCarol.com

JujubeanFreeJoel.com

SarcasmFreeGeorge.com

TvFreeDan.com

You get the idea!  If you are serious and want to join the movement, I’ll allow you to share your “Free Me” experience right here each so you don’t have to do anything except focus on the task at hand!!!!