Tag Archives: freedom

Independence Day

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On this Independence Day, it is my tradition to reread the Declaration of Independence penned by the founders of our great country over two hundred years ago. Aside from the florid language in which it is written, something that is so compelling in this as of Twitter, I’m impressed by the expression of freedom, or inalienable right to freedom. And yet, with all of our abilities as a nation, a free people, it seems that we are bound by a constant yearning for more, never satisfied in the present. And then as if manifest from the ether, I read this quote this morning:

“In America I saw the freest and most enlightened people placed in the happiest circumstances that the world affords. Yet it seemed to me as if a cloud habitually hung upon their brows, and I thought them serious and almost sad, even in their pleasures. In the United States, people build houses in which to spend their old age, and they sell them before the roof is on; they plant gardens and sublet them just as the trees are coming into bearing; they bring fields into tillage and leave others to gather the crops; they embrace a profession and give it up; they settle in a place, which they soon afterwards leave to carry their changeable longings elsewhere. They who have set their hearts exclusively upon the pursuit of worldly welfare are always in a hurry, for they have but a limited time at their disposal to reach, to grasp, and to enjoy it.” (Alexis de Tocqueville, 1805 – 1859)

What is ironic about this quote is that while reading it, I was thinking to myself how relevant it is today and timely until I got to the end and realized it was penned almost two hundred years ago! Even at the emergence of our country, an outside person observed the lack of living in the present that robs us of our joys today. Is it not possible to live a life of abundance, of freedom, within the context of what we can readily achieve and enjoy?

I struggle myself with the desires to have more, to be in office in public service, to own more, and to be happy at the same time. It is a balance if have not achieved yet and see myself unhappy at times because of my perceived lack at any given moment. The truth of the matter is that I am truly blessed and have abundance, now, today, and I’m free to enjoy it!

 

Choice

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“There is a space between stimulus and our response. That space is our ability to choose our response. In that space lays our strength, growth and happiness.” Stephen Covey

The late Dr. Covey’s words are profound in the inclusiveness of the statement. We all have the freedom to choose, the “space between stimulus and response”, even if we don’t like our options. Some of us are born with many gifts and support, making our lives much easier to navigate. When a stimulus happens, the space we have may be quite large, allowing us to make a generous choice in our response, perhaps not reacting to something unpleasant or being extra-giving when needed. For example, if someone says something unkind, we have the choice of being unkind back, ignoring it, or saying something pleasant or innocuous in reply. In the case of a person who doesn’t have the tools of maturity and perspective, the response might be a negative retort back, or worse.

The bottom line is that it all boils down to choice and everyone has the ability to choose, the freedom to chart our own course in life. The children of disadvantaged families often do not see the space that they have or it is very narrow. They may also have been raised with examples which are very contrary to what society would recommend or approve of. This is not their fault. Alas, it is my belief that deep down they know that doing something bad, harmful or illegal is in fact wrong. They may choose to do it in order to “belong” to their family or neighborhood, particularly if they are part of a gang which might impose still penalties for not following along. There is, nonetheless, a choice.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with a group of young men who are incarcerated in a juvenile detention center and I left with the confirmation that these men do know between right and wrong, that they have the intelligence to make good choices for themselves, and that with society’s help, they can develop the emotional maturity necessary to do the “right thing” when the situation arises.

Life is not always a bowl of cherries and occasionally we are in the pits. But even then, when we are at our lowest, we still have the freedom of choice and that, my friends, is power!