FREEDOM

by Tug Taviano of Kingswood Village

Freedom, what does that word truly mean to you. To some it is to be free to be whatever I think I am, to some it is what those before us have fought for, and to others, they are still trying to figure out how to be free from the things that have held them back for years. Whatever it means to you, I know one thing, I do not think we are grateful enough for those that have given our nation the opportunity to be the most free of any nation in the world. The thing that I do want to focus on, is how we as individuals develop the freedom from opinions of others. The truth is, people will have opinions, the disbelief is, we should let that effect the way in which we live. I always tell my kids, myself, and my wife that my response is my responsibility. That means, anyone can voice what they want to about you, but the way you believe it and respond is up to you.

As we celebrate our nation’s freedom on this Independence Day holiday, may we truly find the freedom to live from the opinions of others. In closing, I want to encourage you to keep your circle small, and develop a fist factor of those that you trust. When you develop who you trust on your most powerful hand, you can pack a better punch by keeping your circle smaller. It’s taken me 44 years to implement this, and this mentality has been taught to me, by fellow Shawnee resident, Donna Krech!