Independence: Being American

Monday Mountain
4th of July, 2016

Before we begin, take a minute to reflect on your definition of what it is to be an American. Time yourself to ponder this for actually two minutes.

There's a majority of America who define the American Life as it is represented in the Declaration of Independence, which is a great starting point. In truth, it holds very little weight in how our government functions and makes decisions. You should, however, shape your journey based on those three objectives.

1. Life
2. Liberty
3. Pursuit of Happiness

Life - As an American, this means living life, not just living and breathing. This means having wild adventures, exciting stories, and moments that can provoke a variety of emotions that one may compare to a box of chocolates. I can agree with Mama Gump, you never know what you're going to get. Chase after events and moments that can cause your heart rhythm to become irregular for a brief moment of time or cause you to develop a temporary loss of breath. Life is a gift, but do not waste it, use all of it. 

Liberty - Pertaining to our freedoms, there is a limit on these as we cannot encroach on the freedoms or happiness of others. What we have for ourselves is the ability to speak what's on our minds, own and use firearms, and so on. Flex these freedoms and share them with your friends. There are fellow Americans who willingly go overseas to fight and defend those freedoms you may take for granted.

Pursuit of Happiness - Go forth and be happy. It's that simple. Be happy with yourself, with your friends, with your family, with your adventures, with your food, with your health, etc. Be happy, you can do whatever you like so long as it does not hurt anyone else's chances of being happy. Encourage others to be happy too, it's the best infection one could get. 

With this American Historically-based Holiday, go out there and blow something up, eat some dead animal (or vegetables shaped like meat-products), drink in some sunshine (and alcohol too, if you're of age), and finally be an American. Even if you're not an American every single day of the year, on the 4th of July everyone is an American. FREE AS HECK!