For these Sunday Morning Inspirations I try to offer an inspiring story, or a great video, or words of wisdom, and sometimes my own thoughts. For this first Independence Day version I’ve combined all of them. I love Carrie Underwood’s story of putting herself out there and going for her dream (turned out pretty good), there’s a good song with “Independence Day” and then a few words of my own. What “freedoms from” and “freedoms to” can you claim today? What dream can you go for? What is your Independence Day?

What is the essence of America?  Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom “to” and freedom “from.”  ~ Marilyn vos Savant

For several years now, at this time of year, I write an article or column about Freedom – always under the banner of Freedom From & Freedom To. So here we go for Independence Day 2010:

Freedom From

Those who want to convince you that you can’t do something. Have you ever noticed those who rain on your dreams are usually the ones not living out any dreams themselves. Kinda looks like they want to convince you that you can’t because they can’t, and if you did, it just might make them look bad.

Living someone else’s dream or agenda. There seems to be many people out there who want to manipulate your life and how you live it. One of the best things I heard this year about these kind of folks is: “How out of control do you have to feel to demand to be in control all the time?”

Being constantly available. I know people who are so connected they never have time for themselves. I go back and forth between amusement and pity when I see 2-3 people at lunch or dinner together and each of them is talking on a phone. These things are for our convenience, remember, and you don’t have to answer them. Or even turn them on.

The constant barrage of negativity in the news. Consider going on a “media diet” and pay attention to how much calmer you may feel. If anything really big and important happens, someone will tell you.

Freedom To

Pursue Happiness – This is a very cool thing to pursue. Just remember it is not an entitlement. You don’t get it just for showing up. As Ben Franklin once told us “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness.  You have to catch it yourself.”

To Choose, and the guts to do so - I  think the greatest muscle God gave us is our choice muscles. Yet we let them get weak when we act like we have no choice in our lives. Here is one of my favorite quotes that kicks me in the butt every now and then – “You’ve got a lot of choices.  If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you’re not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice.” ~Steven D. Woodhull

To start something you want to do but may not be very good at, at first. If you wait until you are good at something before you do it, you are not going to accomplish much. I guess I am into quotes today, because here comes another of my favorites: “Start by dong what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi. As many of my students will attest to, you can get pretty far on that one. And my thanks to Tina Williams for recently reminding me of this quote.

Live out your dreams – What are yours? Are you living them? Pursuing them? Forgotten about them? I think it is important to remember that there are many many people, both living and not, who would love to just have a taste of the chance to be in a situation in which they could pursue their dreams with freedom. So what’s your excuse? Get rid of it and go for it.

Happy Independence Day 2010

For a good part of the 80′s I helped run an adolescent drug rehab program. Every day was a crash course in learning.

One of my roles was to supervise interns from my former graduate program. We hired one intern as a staff member, and the Monday after he graduated he came waltzing in all happy to be done with grad school and announced: “I’m not reading another book for at least a year!” To which I responded: “Not if you are going to work here…”

Learning is life long. Beware the person who thinks they know it all and has no more to learn. Even if they are at the top of their field. Because they will not remain on top for long with that attitude.

So I was surprised that some people were surprised that Maritza and I planned to spend a half day with Bill Glazer of the Glazer-Kennedy Inner Circle in Baltimore. Sure it involved traveling. Sure it involved a fee. But if you are going to continue to serve those that learn from you, it’s my belief that you must be dedicated to constantly learning and improving, or you are misleading those who follow you.

We had a great time with Bill, who has an incredible ability to take many different directions and focus them into one incredible plan…

And no, a black shirt was not required clothing for the day!

No deeper meaning…

No hidden marketing message or lesson…

Just a picture of Ali that I thought was cool, hanging in the gym at the Mansion Hotel on Martha’s Vineyard…