With the 4th of July just around the corner, the day on which we celebrate “liberty” and “freedom”, I spent some time today reflecting on the idea of “liberty” and just what it really means to me.
In Path to Liberty, Thomas Willhite wrote:

The Truth is simple…so simple that every living man, woman and child can understand…or it is not the Truth. The Truth is: you are your thoughts. You are as you know yourself to be in your heart…your soul…your being NOW. This is the basic concept — the secret of life and success. All I say or write is but an expounding on this one simple Truth: You are your thoughts.

What a powerful concept — simultaneously uplifting and terrifying. On the one hand, it means that all of the things that are bringing you down — all of your programs, the story of your life that you have created and are caught up in — are your responsibility. There’s no one else to blame.
At the same time, it’s inspiring — it means there is hope in every situation, because YOU have the power to change it. You are not a victim of people or a prisoner of circumstance. You are not a pawn in some celestial game. You are the master of your fate; you are the captain of your soul.
Is that not the ultimate liberty?

To think is to create. This fundamental law is as valid regarding fear as it is in any other area of your life. If you think about fear and what might happen, that that is exactly what will happen! How could it be otherwise? Those pictures and thoughts you hold in your mind most of the time will materialize. You will attract what you fear most. Worry is a prayer for something you don’t want.
The law must work on both directions, for what we desire and for what we dread, or it is not the law. If this were not so, then you would have no choice. You would have no control. There would be no freedom. Liberty could not exist. Thus, fear and adversity are necessary. Through them we can experience the thrill of overcoming and the joy of success, as well as the opportunity to grow, provided we realize they are experiences and not the final act. Fear is an experience, not a fact.

So this 4th of July, celebrate your liberty — exercise your freedom to be fantastic. Choose to create your own life story, rather than just acting out the one that’s been written for you by others. Then share and enjoy that freedom with those around you — be your own fireworks show!
Happy 4th of July!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”
— Marianne Williamson

Image: Ron Dash