Declaring your Independence

"Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves."~ Friedrich Nietzsche

This past weekend, we Americans celebrated Independence Day. Many celebrated without giving thought to the reason for the celebration. We learned in school that July 4, 1776 was the day America declared independence from Britain, but basically most of us think of it as a long weekend for travel, cookouts, and fireworks with family and friends. I remember watching firework shows when I was a child and then years later seeing the enjoyment on my own children’s faces at firework displays (after we got past the years where they were terrified of the sounds)!

Listening to patriotic soundtracks during these firework shows can be almost a spiritual experience. A favorite song this time of year to many is Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” I don’t know anyone who could hear this song without it bringing a tear to their eye.

We live in the greatest country in the world. The freedoms wehave to even have a blog like this blow my mind when I really stop and think about it. Even the US Army has a spot on Face book. One of the postings I read by a fan (Tammy Little Cooke) summed it all up: “Thank you all for serving my country. Right, wrong, or indifferent…still the best country on Earth for opportunity and freedom! You make that possible…hooo rahhh!” The men and women serving our country now and in the past have fought hard for the freedom we experience, and I am very grateful and indebted to them.

Have you thought about the freedom or independence in your own life? You have the right to make your own choices, and yes, suffer or enjoy the consequences by those choices. A friend of mine recently shared a story about a couple living next door to her who are in their 80’s. Once a vibrant, healthy individual, the gentlemen recently began showing signs of early stages of Alzheimer’s. This is someone who up until a few weeks ago was walking four miles a day. On a recent walk to a nearby drugstore, he wound up lost and unsure how to find his way home. Two hours later, he arrived back home with tears streaming down his face. The independence he experienced in his lifetime was suddenly robbed from him.

I started thinking about how most of us take our independence for granted. None of us are guaranteed a certain amount of time on this planet, but we do have the freedom to make as many healthy choices as we want in order to do our part in maintaining a healthy state for as long as possible. Our freedom gives us the will to be responsible to ourselves. Are you keeping your body as fit as you can? I want to make fitness a daily part of your life – that’s why it’s important to me to provide daily workouts. I hope that I am making a difference in your life. Your feedback and comments mean the world to me. Keep them coming! Are you “exercising” your right to freedom?