Independence

As my alarm went off this morning at 4:45 I remembered the significance of this particular day, Independence Day. We celebrate it with fireworks, vacations and cookouts. There are parades, radio stations play songs of freedom and patriotism. In this part of the world, of all days that SHOULD be celebrated, this certainly is the one. 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among them are LIFE, LIBERTY and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS"...These are some of the most powerful words ever written, not just here, but in all of the world. I started to think about these words, poured my first cup of coffee, plugged in the music that moves me and began to dream. These ideas were created for a country, but they trickle down to each of us. Our own individual freedom comes from a place inside ourselves; we have a choice each and every day to chase our dreams. Those of us that decide to chase dreams are most likely to catch them, no matter how big or how uncommon they may be. Long before any of us got here, there have been women and men who have paved a road that gives us permission to do whatever it is that makes us feel alive.

I honestly think a lot about the things in my life that I would have changed and the honest answer is nothing. Though I have had some difficult times, fears and failures; they have made me who I am today and this day is all I have to try and pave the way for myself and those I love. For me, our purpose is to keep on going through struggles and victories with a sense that after every single storm there is the calm of a perfectly sunny day. Nature tells us this and so does life. Years ago, my then sixteen year old niece answered the question "What is the best feeling in the world?" Her answer, "Defying the odds". I can't lay claim to giving that to her, but that is exactly what Independence Day is about; her words had a great impact on me. We are all capable of anything in life that we imagine and we are free, individually, to discover exactly what kind of mark we want to leave on the world around us. We are free to risk everything!

There is no age limit on fulfilling your dreams or to begin dreaming for that matter. Whatever your desires are, you have the power inside of you to stake your claim to them. If the odds seem against you~ defy them. When people or situations get you down and they will~ forgive them and move on. The right people and situations will surely be in your life, always at the right time. Remember that hope costs just as much as gloom but the rewards of hope are far greater. The pursuit of happiness is the greatest gift we have, get after it!