Have You Claimed Your Independence?

I am now a U.S. citizen, but I also retain my Canadian citizenship, so I got a double helping of celebrations last week—Canada Day on the first of July and of course Independence Day on the fourth.

I love the idea of celebrating freedom any chance I get.

This year, I was invited to a special 4^th of July celebration by my friend Jack who is the General Manager of the nearby Scottsdale Fairmont Hotel. There was the usual fun stuff—plenty of food, festivities and fireworks—but there were also some poignant moments that served as reminders of what freedom is all about.

They took time during the evening to honor an old soldier who was in his nineties—a man who had served his country in more than one conflict. They also brought out an Iraq war veteran who was having financial difficulties since returning home and they presented him with a new car. No matter what your politics, or how you feel about the validity of American military involvement in that region, I guarantee you could not help but be moved by that moment.

This got me thinking about how we value freedom and how we show our appreciation for it. We embrace the idea of freedom on a large, national scale, and we genuinely honor those who fight for it. It seems to me a shame then, when people who have the skills and resources to essentially write their own tickets to success allow themselves to become trapped in a confining daily routine or a stagnant way of thinking. You have been blessed with the freedom to make choices. Are you making the right ones that honor that freedom?

Have you chosen to be the best clinician you can be? Have you chosen to be the best team leader you can? What about family? Have you chosen to fully invest yourself as a father, husband, mother, wife, son or daughter? Have you chosen to embrace the soul-enriching principle of being a lifelong student? Have you made the choice to live fully and consciously?

These are important questions to ask yourself as a professional, a family member and as a citizen of a free country. As the old saying goes, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance—you can't ever take it for granted. On a personal level, liberty is about living the life you want, on the terms you have chosen. If you accept that premise, then you have to accept the responsibility that goes with it. Because, as the founding of this nation demonstrated, freedom is not just given to you—it's something you have to claim.