I know everyone is about to start the holiday weekend so this will be short and sweet.
Hot dogs, parades, fireflies, red, white, and blue decorations, and of course, fireworks. That’s what comes to mind when I think of July 4th.
When I close my eyes and bring myself back to my childhood, I can hear bands playing patriotic songs, smell barbecues in all of our back yards, and taste buttery corn on the cob. And I can almost feel the booming of the fireworks as they were displayed over the Long Island Sound as I sat with my parents and siblings on a blanket watching with awe and a little terror.
Food, family, and fun; always a winning connection. I wish for all of you a weekend of all three or any combination which most appeals to you!
While the 4th of July may be viewed differently (and perhaps not totally positively) in 2021, I am sure that we all still agree with the concept of liberty and freedom for all. This is a time for you to reflect upon what that means for you in your life. What do you want freedom from?
What do you want freedom to do/have/experience? Sit for a few moments in quiet and contemplate that. I know for me I want freedom from my worrying, particularly about my kids as they enter and march towards adulthood. I want the freedom to begin to focus on my own journey as a woman and entrepreneur, having sold my company for 20 years and (almost) launched my four children.
I want the freedom to create, write, explore and be of service to women who are overwhelmed and struggling to find peace in their lives.
What is it you want freedom from?
And what do you want freedom to do, to feel, to experience, to cultivate, to have?
And if you had that freedom, how would it feel?
What would be possible in your own life?
How we find that freedom, is, of course, our internal work.
My all-time favorite quote about freedom is by Victor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning, perhaps the most impactful book I've ever read. Through his very challenging life experiences, Frankl learned that:
"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
We really do create our own reality, our own world view by responding rather than reacting to what is happening. As Jean-Paul Sartre writes: freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you.
So, enjoy the weekend by thinking, writing, reading, sharing, loving, and wondering.
Begin to craft for yourself a life that reflects your most authentic self, that inspires you, moves you, and challenges you. There is great freedom when we live according to our deepest values.
Happy Independence Day to All!
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