Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my beeji’s gentle hand on my forehead and the stories she narrated every night. Among the many lessons she left me with, one has stayed with me for life and, years later, become the foundation of my work as a mind wellness coach.
Beeji once told me about a parrot locked in a cage. Every night it cried, “Freedom! Freedom!” The entire village was disturbed by its relentless shrieks. Finally, one day, a kind man unlocked the cage. Relieved, the villagers believed the bird would finally fly away. But the next morning, they found the cage open and the parrot still inside, crying for freedom without taking flight.
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As I listen to people during counselling sessions, this story often comes alive in my mind.
Life spares no one. Relationship conflicts, betrayal, financial setbacks, professional disappointments and emotional wounds are part of the human experience. Yet I have noticed something remarkable. Sometimes we become so accustomed to our pain that it quietly becomes our comfort zone. We seek sympathy more often than solutions, and fear keeps us confined long after the cage has been opened.
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The first step towards healing is acceptance. Tell yourself honestly, “Yes, this has happened to me.” Allow yourself time to grieve, cry, reflect or speak to someone you trust. Suppressed emotions rarely disappear; acknowledged emotions begin to heal. Then, slowly and consciously, shift your attention from the problem to the path of solution. Every small step weakens the grip of fear. Courage is not the absence of pain; it is the willingness to move despite it.
As a therapist, I have seen remarkable transformations—not because people’s circumstances changed overnight, but because they chose not to remain prisoners of them. The moment we stop identifying with our wounds, healing quietly begins.
Perhaps the cage has never been the real prison. Our fears, our attachments and our unwillingness to let go often are.
So, if life has already unlocked your cage, don’t spend your days crying for freedom. Trust yourself, surrender to the journey, spread your wings and fly towards the life waiting for you beyond the bars. 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meenu Chopra is a New Delhi-based behavioural science expert, mind wellness and parenting coach, and author, who blends scientific psychology with practical wisdom to inspire healthier, happier lives. With over two decades of experience in emotional wellbeing and psychological resilience, Meenu is a visiting Mental Health Expert to leading schools across Gurgaon/NCR. She also guides couples through conscious pregnancy journey with her holistic Garbh Sanskar programme. She is the author of ‘The Healer Within’ and ‘Wake Up Zindagi’.
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