Land of the Free

In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

July 4th. When I was a kid, it was all about the fireworks and the watermelon. Good times, pretty sights, running in the park. As a kid, there's not much thought about the actual weight of the holiday; the fact that others die in order to keep us free...that because countless men and women were selfless and brave enough to put their own lives on the line to fight for our country, I can enjoy the little things in life without worrying about my safety or my freedom. They cleared those huge hurdles away so my most pressing concern was if I had room for both ice cream AND watermelon after the fireworks.

Even as an adult, I probably don't count this blessing often enough. The typical every day annoyances usually get in the way and the big picture stuff sometimes is taken for granted.

Because I work with so many entrepreneurs (and I am one myself) I do think and talk about freedom quite a bit--the freedom to create my own destiny, my own business, my own lifestyle. If there's one thing that my clients have in common, it's the aversion they have to cubicles and being put in a box rather than having the opportunity to let their light shine. This quest for freedom sometimes is greater than the need for a huge paycheck (though we're all searching for that as well), the elusive concept of 'security' and a guaranteed two-week paid vacation every year.

Freedom, it seems, is the brass ring we are all searching for. Yet, it means different things to each person. For one it's the ability to stay home with kids whenever they want to; for another, it's the ability to hop in the car and take a vacation in the middle of the week; for yet another, it's simply being able to work at her home office in her bunny slippers. All very different dreams, but the same feeling of freedom for each.


It does not come easily, though, this freedom. It is not handed to us without trial and hardship, and once we get a taste of it we're not guaranteed to keep it. It all lies on our shoulders as entrepreneurs to continually work hard enough to retain it.


The difference between those who struggle and those who have a firm grip on the brass ring? Doing. They stop talking and they execute. They set goals that are higher than they think they can achieve, and they have a partner (or a friend, a spouse or a coach) who holds them accountable. There are no excuses. There is just the doing.


This holiday weekend, I am thankful for the circumstances that allow me to be me....to write, to coach, to create my own destiny in a way that feeds my soul and stimulates my mind. I am thankful that I live in a country where I am free to create a life that I want to live. I am thankful.


Best wishes to everyone for a safe, happy, and thankful Independence Day.

Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves. ~ F. Nietzshe