Welcome to my eight-part blog series about the main themes in At Liberty To Live. You may have read my previous blog series on the themes of Atlantic Split, so now it’s the turn of book 2. Find the links to the previous blogs at the bottom of this blog post. There will be some crossover between the two books. Last week’s blog was on the theme of new beginnings, and this week I’ll be discussing theme two: inner strength. Warning: This blog contains spoilers.

Inner strength is a theme that, for me, I feel describes Luke Bright very well. The strength to be able to take on the mission of fighting against the Atlantic Split and leaving his family behind, but also being able to stick with this decision despite the world testing him. He has a huge amount against him (his battles in Atlantic Split spring to mind) and these follow into At Liberty to Live. Yet, his friends admire him for this characteristic.

However, the real way that inner strength is shown in At Liberty To Live isn’t solely through Luke, it’s through the people he meets along the way. Luke is there for them and stands behind them. He knows from his own experiences what it’s like to be bullied and put down, and he’s not having any of it. So, he helps the people around him to confront what’s holding them back and encourages them to make a stand. If there’s one thing he practices and preaches whilst on the run, it’s how to stand up to people. This decision means we see a huge change in who Luke is over time and by the end of the book, Luke’s stronger and more independent than he ever has been, which is good because he really needs it by that point.

However, the true meaning of inner strength is something that can get muddled, as you’ll see later on in the series. One thing I believe defines inner strength is the choice of whether you do what’s right or what’s the easy decision and for Luke this is something that he’s going to have to face. The easy way may not necessarily be wrong or going against what you believe but sometimes…it’s not what’s right. Nevertheless, inner strength is something that can lapse, and that’s okay. It’s hard to maintain but it’s something you shouldn’t lose. For Luke, it’s what made him into who he is. It’s one of his most defining characteristics.

For me personally, it’s something I feel not enough people hear about and more people need to understand. The power of inner strength is something that can give you a whole new way to deal with life. A whole new outlook and it can completely change your mindset. If you believe you can stand up to people and if you believe you should, then life could be so much better. It doesn’t matter whether it would be easier to pander or too hard to give up, you have to look inside yourself and see, as a person, what is it that you believe you want or should be doing. If that’s not something you’re doing now then it’s not something you should have to deal with. No matter what, if your morals dictate you shouldn’t have to stand for something then you need to find that inner strength to deal with it. Others around you can be a great support for that, but in the end, in your heart you know how to deal with it, and you know the right thing to do. It’s not easy, but it’s something that will help in the long term. It’s something I feel needs to be spread around a lot more than it is now because it’s something we should never forget we can do.

I end this blog with a quote from At Liberty To Live about inner strength. It’s the moment Luke truly realises that it’s time to stand up against Marco Brown and decides it’s an ethos he’s going to carry through his life from now on. He’s never going to let anyone treat him like that ever again.

“They were right — I was the person who could choose whether Marco could have this hold over me. I had no idea why Marco had done it, I probably would never know, but what I did know was that I was strong enough to fight him back, and I wouldn’t let him win. After all, I bet he’d be kicking himself if he knew that I could move on with my life and he’d never be able to move on with his.” Luke Bright – At Liberty To Live

Thank you for reading this blog, and I’ll be back with the third theme of At Liberty To Live, following your passion.

Links to Atlantic Split theme blogs:

1. Prejudice
2. Growing Up
3. Optimism
4. Courage
5. Friendship
6. Family
7. Bullying
8. Morality

Atlantic Split and At Liberty To Live, the first and second books in The Luke Bright Series are available to purchase NOW! Please follow me on my blog and my social media links below, and use the links on my website to purchase a copy of each if you have not done so. Don’t forget to leave a review! Thank you once again for taking the time to read this blog post.

N.A.K.