Who owns you? For most Americans the answer is “nobody”. Once we are on our own we are free to decide what we do with our lives. The reality is, however, if we don’t recognize this freedom and the cost paid to obtain it we may be letting people own us. The feeling of being owned by someone can create a disempowered feeling and a number of psychological disorders.
The fireworks behind Independence Day is celebrating the fact that our forefathers did not allow themselves to be bullied. They possessed a spirit of Independence—they put their lives on the line for freedom and they would do it again to keep it. When England began bullying Americans by enforcing unfair taxes and other regulations, it did not matter that England was the strongest nation in the world. Americans possessed a fire in their heart that refused to be broken. They would fight for justice and the life of freedom they were pursuing.
Before the firework show this year, ask yourself if you feel owned by someone, if you are letting someone or something control or intimidate you. Make the commitment to receive courage and take a stand. (Kids—this is not encouragement to rebel against your parents or other authorities!! Our parents and rules are given by God to impart wisdom, direction and guidelines when young people lack self-control. Anarchy is not freedom, it is destructive chaos.)
A part of the core mission of SwiftKick is to empower individuals so you can be all that you were meant to be. Sometimes people, circumstances, personal constraints, or spiritual opposition can push or pull people to get them stuck and afraid to step out into their creative design. The meek will inherit the earth (those who have conquered their ego and possess powerful self-control and wisdom), but the fearful will inherit whatever scraps are given them.
In an article entitled The Spirit of Independence: The Social Psychology of Freedom, Lee Harris explained the heart of a libertarian—or freedom fighter—saying, “Natural libertarians knew they couldn’t stand the idea of someone else owning them, someone else telling them what to do or how to think, of someone else bossing them around. They all felt competent to manage their own lives and deeply resented any attempt by other people, including the government, to manage their lives for them. Rightly or wrongly, natural libertarians are firmly convinced that no one else can know their best interests more than they do. They insist on remaining in charge of their own destinies and bristle whenever other people seem intent on taking charge of their lives. Because natural libertarians respect their own independence, they respect the independence of others. They do not aspire to control other people’s lives, but when other people aspire to control theirs, they will resist tooth and nail. The natural libertarian will behave this way not because of an ideology, but because of his or her distinctive attitude towards life.
What is your attitude toward life? Do you usually seek the easy way out? Are you skulking around letting peer pressures or other powers determine your actions? Do you let people walk all over you for fear of standing up to them? Make a commitment to take a stand this year and refuse to bow to fear and intimidation! Don’t let people strut their stuff as they make you pay your dues and make you feel small. Freedom has never been freely given, it has been fought for!