I’ll always remember driving through the Great Smoky Mountains over July 4th weekend several years ago, listening to Garrison Keillor’s final show of a Prairie Home Companion, broadcast live from the Hollywood Bowl.
President Obama called to give Keillor a shout-out for his 40+ years of story-telling. Keillor asked, “What are you looking forward to when you’re out of office?”
Obama laughed, “Getting in a car and going for a drive with no Secret Service.”
Exactly. To me, an open road, getting in a car and going where we want, when we want, with whom we want, is the epitome of freedom.
Yet many of us take it for granted.
As Abraham Maslow pointed out in his Hierarchy Pyramid of Needs, “Satisfied needs are no longer motivators.” Once we have food, water, shelter, safety, freedom; we tend to overlook them, take them for granted.
Yet, they are all far too precious to take for granted.
This July 4th weekend, may we not just SAY we appreciate our freedom(s), may we SHOW we understand what a gift it is to be free to go where we please, when we please, with whom we please.
ACTION
How about you? Has freedom become a satisfied need?
Take 2 minutes right now to think about what freedoms you are grateful for. What will you do today to honor and celebrate them?
Feel free (see what I did there 😉) to download & share this inspiring infographic featuring reminders about how good it is to be free!
