Free Will - The Power to Choose Your Mind

## ☕ Capitalism and Coffee (or Wine) – An Objectivist Meetup

📅 Date: Thursday, August 28
🕕 Time: 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Venue: Private address – register to receive details
💬 Topic: Free Will – The Power to Choose Your Mind

***

What’s the difference between a light bulb and a laser?
Both can run on the same amount of energy, but only one can cut through steel. The difference is focus.
And the same is true in life.

It’s not just what you know, or how much potential you have — it’s whether you choose to focus your mind.

That choice — to think, to direct your awareness, to face facts rather than drift — is what free will really means. It’s the foundation of success in any area of life, and it’s also the root of genuine self-esteem.

When you know you can rely on your ability to focus, you carry a confidence that can’t be faked.
When you don’t — you drift, you evade, you lose trust in yourself.

***

This month, we’ll unpack the concept of free will from an Objectivist perspective:

• What free will is — and what it isn’t
• Why some people deny it, and how to answer them
• How free will links directly to success, learning, and self-esteem
• Why the choice to think is the most important choice you make every day

We’ll draw on ideas from Ayn Rand and Leonard Peikoff, and we’ll also discuss my recent Substack article:

> “Focus Is the Difference Between a Light Bulb and a Laser”
> Read it here before the meetup:
> https://open.substack.com/pub/xeniaioannou/p/focus-is-the-difference-between-a?r=58bsti&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

***

📖 Suggested Readings:

1. Xenia Ioannou – “Focus Is the Difference Between a Light Bulb and a Laser”
   https://open.substack.com/pub/xeniaioannou/p/focus-is-the-difference-between-a?r=58bsti&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
2. Ayn Rand – “The Objectivist Ethics” (The Virtue of Selfishness) – section on free will and the choice to think
3. Leonard Peikoff – Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand – Chapter 4: “Free Will”

***

To Attend:
Please RSVP here or email me at **xenia@alexarealestate.com.au**.
Once registered, you’ll receive the private address.
If you need to reach me directly, call or text 0412 437 582.
Bring your thoughts, questions, and curiosity — and be ready for a lively, engaging discussion over coffee (or wine).