This week, we as Americans are celebrating our biggest measure of collective independence – that of our entire nation. We’ll be taking time off to spend with our families, and to pause and reflect on the struggles and sacrifices those before us have made so that we can enjoy the privileges we currently have in our daily lives.
But of course independence comes in many forms, and it doesn’t always have to be on such a large scale. Sure, the grand gestures that create a new country are carried down and remembered through the centuries, but even on a personal level, we have each been given the right to pursue independence on our own terms. This includes the right to define ourselves however we want, to express our authentic selves, and to take that authentic expression out into the world. It takes some bravery, but it can certainly be done.
Every morning when we wake up, we make decisions about how to look, what to say, and how to treat the people in our lives. Although these decisions happen continuously, hundreds of times per day in each passing moment, they are not to be taken lightly. Who we are and how we act not only affects us, but everyone who encounters us, and the impact we make matters. The good thing is, we have the option in any moment to act independently and choose a new path – we can take the road less traveled to greater personal evolution, both inside and out. We can decide to start making choices that are different from the ones we would have made in the past. We can choose to make decisions that don’t necessarily fit the way others expect us to behave or speak or look.
This kind of independence can be scary, but it can also be inspiring. It transcends expectations and stereotypes, and it elevates all of us.
We have the power to choose how we look, how we carry ourselves, and how we present ourselves to the world. Don’t be afraid to be a true individual in this regard. Our contribution to society, on every level, is important and valid. This week is a perfect time to honor our uniqueness and recommit ourselves to appreciating whatever independence we can embrace in our lives.
Your haberdashers at Ken’s wish you a joyful 4th of July weekend – Happy Independence Day!
Kory Helfman
Dallas Haberdasher
Ken’s Man’s Shop
