Freedom, as they say, isnt free.
We live in a great country with many freedoms. Freedom in all its glory gives us a confidence in our society that can not be measured. Our Constitution gives us freedoms and rights that are guaranteed at every level of the population.
Free beer is great. Free speech, however, is priceless.
What our constitution does not guarantee is freedom from failure. Or freedom from taking a chance. Freedom from standing apart from the crowd and making a difference is not in the Bill of Rights. No amendment gives you the freedom from reading the notes of your life and crumbling them into a ball, then tossing it into the trash can and starting over.
What I’m trying to say, in a most backward manner, is use the freedoms you are given. We live in a country that gives us tremendous power over our own lives, yet so few people take advantage of it. Do you want to quit your job and travel the country by backpack? Guess what, you can. How about becoming a mobile dog groomer? Do it. What would you think about starting a blog after a half century of living the rat race? Step up to the plate and swing away.
Those freedoms come with a big risk. That previously mentioned failure thing. That’s right, you may not succeed. You just might backpack halfway across the country before you give up and head back home. Boy, that would sure be a waste, wouldn’t it?
The truth about that failure thing is that it probably won’t hurt as much as you thought it might. Those people you look up to, the Martin Luther Kings or Theodore Roosevelts or Henry David Thoreaus all took risks. They took those risks not only because they had the moxie, but also because they had the freedom to do so. The freedom to fail, the freedom to make a difference, the freedom to succeed.
Don’t let those freedoms sit unused.
