Happy Fourth of July!
I, for one, am profoundly glad that I live in the United States of America. I am so grateful for my freedom and safety from tyranny and oppression.
Not that everyone in this country feels that way -- there remains a societal and sometimes government-backed oppression of various peoples in our country (minorities, women, and the LGBT community, for example). But we continue to evolve and improve, and all of us enjoy a fundamental level of freedom and security that is unheard of in many countries and regions of the world.
Yesterday I read an article that the amount of people who call themselves "extremely proud" to be an American has dropped three percentage points, from 57% to 54%, and this figure continues a decline from previous years.
For myself, I notice that over the years, my pride in being an American keeps going up. As I notice and appreciate the freedom I've had to make of my life what I will, and to support my wife and son in doing the same, my love and gratitude for my country, and for those who have sacrificed to make it what it is today -- from the Founding Fathers, to the Service members, to the oppressed who have stood up for justice and equality -- my love and gratitude continues to deepen and grow.
I hope that you have a wonderful (and safe!) holiday, and as your eyes happen to catch the American flag today, or as you see happy children playing -- free of fear, and full of potential in the land of opportunity -- may you feel a sense of appreciation and fondness for this great country that we have the privilege of being a part of and contributing to.
Ours may not be a perfect country, but it is a great country, and I wouldn't want to call anywhere else home.
Happy Independence Day!
--Judd
P.S. We have the freedom to create the life each of us wants to live, but it requires that we make decisions and take action. If you know someone facing an important decision, why not share my book with them, DECIDE! 6 Steps to Great Decisions. If you've read the book, you know how helpful the DECIDE process is, in clearing away confusion, and bringing clarity and confidence to all of our decisions and life plans.
Just send them this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WCRXEM0/.
Or if you're feeling especially generous, you can gift them a copy -- right now it's only $2.99. Click on that link, then click the "Give as a Gift" button. What better way to celebrate freedom and opportunity than to share a 6-step process that can help our loved ones live life on their terms, and unleash their talents for the benefit of all.
I, for one, am profoundly glad that I live in the United States of America. I am so grateful for my freedom and safety from tyranny and oppression.
Not that everyone in this country feels that way -- there remains a societal and sometimes government-backed oppression of various peoples in our country (minorities, women, and the LGBT community, for example). But we continue to evolve and improve, and all of us enjoy a fundamental level of freedom and security that is unheard of in many countries and regions of the world.
Yesterday I read an article that the amount of people who call themselves "extremely proud" to be an American has dropped three percentage points, from 57% to 54%, and this figure continues a decline from previous years.
For myself, I notice that over the years, my pride in being an American keeps going up. As I notice and appreciate the freedom I've had to make of my life what I will, and to support my wife and son in doing the same, my love and gratitude for my country, and for those who have sacrificed to make it what it is today -- from the Founding Fathers, to the Service members, to the oppressed who have stood up for justice and equality -- my love and gratitude continues to deepen and grow.
I hope that you have a wonderful (and safe!) holiday, and as your eyes happen to catch the American flag today, or as you see happy children playing -- free of fear, and full of potential in the land of opportunity -- may you feel a sense of appreciation and fondness for this great country that we have the privilege of being a part of and contributing to.
Ours may not be a perfect country, but it is a great country, and I wouldn't want to call anywhere else home.
Happy Independence Day!
--Judd
P.S. We have the freedom to create the life each of us wants to live, but it requires that we make decisions and take action. If you know someone facing an important decision, why not share my book with them, DECIDE! 6 Steps to Great Decisions. If you've read the book, you know how helpful the DECIDE process is, in clearing away confusion, and bringing clarity and confidence to all of our decisions and life plans.
Just send them this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WCRXEM0/.
Or if you're feeling especially generous, you can gift them a copy -- right now it's only $2.99. Click on that link, then click the "Give as a Gift" button. What better way to celebrate freedom and opportunity than to share a 6-step process that can help our loved ones live life on their terms, and unleash their talents for the benefit of all.