Independence Day

Today we celebrate America’s Independence, but what about your independence and freedom? Are you independent? Are you free?

Freedom is the absence of necessity, coercion or constraint in choice or action. Meaning you have control over yourself and your own destiny.

Before I became aware of this fact, I would look for reasons things didn’t happen the way I wanted. Often these reasons I used to explain why things didn’t happen that I wanted to have happen were excuses.

Excuses take away your responsibility for the outcome of your actions. Excuses are different than causes. There can be a cause as to why something didn’t work the way you wanted it to, but so long as you don’t use it as an excuse. An excuse is an admission of defeat that can’t be corrected, whereas finding the cause for things not going well gives you a reason that can be corrected.

The reason I didn’t win that golf tournament is that the other players were better than I was is a cause. And that cause has a solution. The solution is that I need to practice more and get better. I need to take lessons and work on the parts of my golf game that are inferior to those of others.

If I truly believe I lost the golf tournament because I got a bad bounce, then that is an excuse. How do you correct a bad bounce? A bad bounce (excuse) is out of your control, but not being as good as others (cause) is within my control and has a solution. When I have a solution to remedy the cause of the outcome that I didn’t want, I also have the freedom to pursue this solution.

Instead of depending on getting good bounces, I have the freedom to work on my skills and improve.

Enjoy your independence and make the most of your freedom to take responsibility and improve your thinking and live your best Ignited Life!!