Some people don’t. They take their freedom for granted, not realizing that hundreds of thousands gave up their lives so you could have your freedom.
That’s why we celebrate the 4th of July. It’s not about hot dogs and fireworks. It’s about honoring the sacrifices that were made to establish freedom.
Take Richard Stockton, for example. He was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was a prominent lawyer and a wealthy landowner. Because he supported the war efforts to break away from England, he and his family were driven from their home, which was sacked and burned. Stockton was imprisoned for several years and subjected to harsh treatment that broke his health. He died a pauper at the age of 51.
Today, because of thousands of people like Stockton in the early days of America to our soldiers on the battlefield today, we have a level of freedom that has never been experienced anywhere else in the world at any time in history. So Happy 4th of July to all of you!
But there’s even more good news to celebrate. You have the FREEDOM to change yourself, today, for the better, from here on out.
So that forces me to ask the question, “What will it take for you to exercise your FREEDOM to change?”
I’ve found that people make changes when one of three conditions is present.
► 1. They HURT So Much That They’re Forced to Change.
That’s what brought about the American Revolution. The colonists had been hurting too much for too long. So change, as scary as that might be, seemed to be the best alternative.
Perhaps you remember the story of the Prodigal Son. He pushed his father to give him his inheritance now — so he could go out into the world and really live it up. Of course, the son squandered away every bit of his inheritance. And it wasn’t too much later that he came back to his father, broke and begging for help. He was ready to change his ways.
Perhaps you remember the story of the Prodigal Son. He pushed his father to give him his inheritance now — so he could go out into the world and really live it up. Of course, the son squandered away every bit of his inheritance. And it wasn’t too much later that he came back to his father, broke and begging for help. He was ready to change his ways.
Of course, there’s good news and bad news in that story. The bad news is that some people wait until the hurt becomes unbearable before they make any changes. They wait until their customers complain before they take a customer service course. They wait until their marriage is just about over before they read a book on marital communication. And they wait until their health falls apart before they go on a serious diet. That’s just plain stupid.
There’s some good news, however. If you’re really desperate, if you really know you’ve got to change, you’re a candidate for a miracle. You’re ready to take some new steps in a new direction.
Marnie Giese found that out. She wrote: “All the damage we can go through in life can really wear a person down. But then I started to listen to your 6-pack audio album on ‘TAKE CHARGE: 6 Strategies for Achieving More Than Ever’ and I feel more like myself than I have in a very, very long time. I am absolutely AMAZED as to how much they are helping. Thank you so much and God Bless your work!!!”
I encourage you to be smart. Exercise your FREEDOM to change before you HURT TOO MUCH or …
► 2. You’re So BORED With Your Life that You Have to Change.
You may be the person who plateaus on the job. There’s nowhere else to go and there’s nothing more to learn. So you lose interest in your job.
Or you may be the mother who feels like she’s got too much time on her hands when the children are all grown and gone. There’s nothing more to do.
You can see signs of boredom in lots of people in lots of situations. I saw one person wearing a T-shirt that said, “Been there. Done that. Don’t remember.” Doesn’t sound too exciting to me.
The famous poet Robert Frost said, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.” Again, that sounds a bit too boring for me.
I don’t know about you, but I’m never bored. I’m always excited about my life and my work. I take Yogi Berra’s approach, who said, “90% of it is mental; the other half is physical.” In other words, if you have the right attitude towards life, you’re going to be alright.
If you’re not exercising your FREEDOM to change and grow, remember this. Only dead fish go with the flow. Don’t wait for boredom to set in before you do something about your life, your job, or your relationships. That’s a dreadful waste of time that will only lead to regret.
A better way to change, a less painful time to change is when…
► 3. You Realize You CAN Change.
When you truly, truly realize you don’t have to stay the same, when you believe change is possible, FREEDOM is active in your life. And good change is on its way.
In fact, I tell my speaking audiences and coaching clients that you need to realize you CAN change and SHOULD change once in a while. As publisher Susan Crandell puts it, “We all should do something scary at least once a year, because when you pop out the other side, intact and invigorated, the afterglow can carry you through the other parts of your life.”
Susan calls it her “Hey-I-can-do-this” theory of life enhancement. And it has led her to such adventures as race car driving, rock climbing, and white-water rafting — despite the fact she’s a member of the older AARP generation.
Of course, realizing you CAN change, and going for it, is so much better than waiting for huge amounts of HURT or heavy doses of BOREDOM to bring about change. Inspiration is always better than desperation. So remind yourself, tell yourself, “Yes you CAN.”
That’s FREEDOM talking!