Happy 4th of July!
Today we celebrate our country’s independence and our freedom.
What is independence? In a way it implies self-reliance, but reading the declaration of independance it is clear that our founding fathers were not expecting to be completely self-relient. They imply a dependance on eachother as well as a dependance on the gifts that God gives us.
Independence is a term that is relative to some prior connection: We were British colonies, now we are an independant country. I did live with my parents, then I moved out and gained more independance.
In Financial Independence, the goal is to open up more options to yourself as you depend less and less on that next paycheck. And this independence from a paycheck allows you to dedicate more of yourself to the things that are truly important.
But what is freedom? Freedom is a frequently misunderstood concept. Playground philosophers at any elementary school will use this term to justify their every action. “Well, this is a FREE COUNTRY, so I can…” (insert rule broken). But freedom is not being able to do whatever we want, and it should not be used to justify violating the rights of others that were given to them by God: life, liberty, and pursuit of hapiness. While independence is an external reality of loosening bonds, freedom is an internal reality where one has the actual ability to do more good and less bad.
For example, I would love to play violin. Whether it’s classical or some country fiddle, I love the sound of the violin. Am I free to play Bach on the violin? I even bought a violin a few years back thinking I could learn, but after hours trying to make a good sound, I stopped. See, freedom comes with a need for discipline and self-mastery. If I were to take lessons and practice, maybe in 5-10 years I could start to play something resembling Prelude and Allegro by Fritz Kreisler or maybe Wagon Wheel.
On the other hand, someone who smokes cigarettes and really wants to quit, might not actually be free to quit although they do have independence to do so. They need discipline and practice at living without this habit.
“Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.” – CCC 1731
Freedom is not something that just appears with independence, it needs to be cultivated, and we have a responsibility to cultivate it well. With increased independence we then need to work hard at what is important to us and what we feel called to. This will create a real freedom and joy in our lives. So today, let’s reflect on our independence, where we want to grow in freedom, and thank God for the gifts of our life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Happy Independence Day!
