What Does It Really Mean to Be Free?

Lidija Poth
6 days ago
3 min read

The Day I Finally Breathed Underwater

Freedom, for me, is the exact moment I learned to dive.

Twelve metres down, regulator in my mouth, heart hammering against my ribs, eyes wide open in turquoise silence.

I realised I could breathe in a place that once felt impossible.

That was the same feeling I had the morning the divorce was final:

I can breathe again. And I no longer need anyone’s permission.

Brené Brown’s Voice in My Head

Brené Brown has been my quiet companion through every leap.

These lines from her work became the oxygen I carried into the unknown:

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”

(Daring Greatly)

I used to believe vulnerability was weakness.

After the divorce I discovered it is the only path to freedom.

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.”

(The Gifts of Imperfection)

I owned the marriage that broke me, the nights I cried on the bathroom floor, the years I made myself small, the day I walked out, the mistakes I made afterwards, and the woman who rose from every single one of them.

And I loved her — fiercely.

“If we are going to find our way back to each other, vulnerability is the path and courage is the light.”

(Braving the Wilderness)

Every time I chose to be seen — in a new country alone with my children, on a surfboard falling again and again, in a new relationship with my raw heart on display — I was choosing vulnerability over armour.

The Visible Proof That Vulnerability = Freedom

- I learned to dive — the ultimate act of surrender to water, pressure, and trust.

- I learned to surf — the ultimate act of getting back up after every wipe-out.

- I started running because my body asked, not because someone expected.

- I travelled to places I had only seen in magazines — sometimes with my children, sometimes completely alone.

- I left the “safe” job and built my coaching practice on my own terms.

- I ended friendships that required me to shrink and kept only the ones that let me expand.

- I reorganised life so it fits us — my children and me — perfectly.

- I made spectacular, public mistakes and claimed every one.

- I felt sensual, alive, radiant in my own skin again — because I finally stopped hiding it.

Freedom Is Vulnerability in Motion

Brené taught me this: