Freedom & Independence...

During the revolution, seven thousand men and women willingly
died for freedom. I thank God for them! And today I'm deeply
thankful for the men and women willingly serving in our armed
forces. Their sacrifices in 2005 protect the freedoms won in 1781.

Freedom & Independence = "the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something burdensome"

Tom Pryor asks, "Do you have an unwanted burden?
What independence do you desire?
What risks are you willing to take for that freedom?
To achieve freedom... any kind of freedom...
there must be a willingness to risk what you have for that which you desire.
People and organizations with undefined desires and aversion to risk
face a future of decline, despair and discontent."

Oh.... what food for thought...

He goes on to say, "Freedom begins with a revolution of heart and mind.
President John Adams wrote, "What do we mean by the American Revolution?
Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was affected before the war
commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people".
If your heart and mind are averse to risk, the following poem by
Leo Buscaglia will free up provoking thoughts to the contrary."

Risking Freedom
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk being called sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk showing your true self.
To place your ideas and your dreams before them
is to risk being called naive.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the
greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing,
has nothing, is nothing and becomes nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but he simply cannot learn and feel and change
and grow and love and live.
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he's forfeited his freedom
Only the person who risks is truly free.

"What should I risk to gain greater freedom?"

I choose to take risk today to gain back my health
What is YOUR answer? I don't know...
but one thing is certain.
It could be the most important thing
you've done in a long, long time.
If you don't answer the question,
you could be risking freedom,
both current and future.

God bless you all this Independence Day.