I used to love Halloween as a kid. It wasn’t just about trick-or-treating, which I have to admit, was fun too. What I really enjoyed about Halloween was being able to dress up as someone else or something else. I was free to try on different versions of myself. My mask would protect me from any worries, fears or vulnerabilities. But eventually, the mask falls off and we have to face reality.

Having to choose between costumes was always a fight. I like Snow White and Tinker Bell, can´t I combine them both? Why can’t Lilo be a pirate? Why not a vampire that used to be a clown? Other than those decision-making moments, the day would go by really smoothly. I couldn’t see Halloween as something other than a fun and thrilling day. It was like my piece of liberty. It wasn’t long ago that I was old enough to understand that freedom is both a blessing and a curse. Philosophers and poets, for instance Sartre and Pablo Neruda, used to suggest freedom as a condemnation. As we are free to choose something, we are also prisoners of the consequences. And we define ourselves through the choices we make.

Every time I choose something I feel like I lose a piece of myself, a new prospect, a fresh option. I can’t stop thinking about what I might be giving up, and this haunts me at every decision I make. What if the banana muffins tasted better than the vanilla cake today at the bakery? What if by going to the movies I miss out a great event at the park? What if I go to the museum and lose the opportunity of meeting my favorite book author that decided to visit the central library this afternoon? What if that was the choice for me? What if this one little thing changed my path to become who I was supposed to be? I learned with time that freedom can be liberating but also very confining.

My dad used to tell me my arms were too small to hold the entire world. And that’s true; they are. I have to embrace freedom as it is and accept the choices I make along with the consequences that come with it. I guess people like to set goals because they believe it gives them a sense of control. But sometimes the unexpected comes along – even if it weren’t on our check list – and we have to deal with whatever the world throws our way. We may not pull the switch that determines what happens to our lives, but we sure are free to choose what to do about it, how to react, how to overcome the barriers. And who knows the possibilities behind that twist? Freedom is scary, but in a really exciting way, just like the first time you enter a haunting house.

The unknown is a bit intimidating, but stepping outside of our comfort zone can take us to great places. I am grateful that I’m free to take a chance and risk myself whenever opportunity knocks. I can never know what is waiting for me on the other side unless I walk through that door. Behind it, there is a world of possibilities – and freedom is about choosing to welcome them; experience and savor every minute. And whether or not it turns out as I expected; I will know for sure that door was mine to open.