Today in the United States, we celebrate Independence Day. I imagine in Great Britain, they do not celebrate so much. Although this is certainly a national holiday, some of the principles should be celebrated and incorporated globally. Today, we are going to take a look at a few of these characteristics and look into what it means to truly be independent. These thoughts can be applied both politically and personally. We are going to take a look at both of them.

One of the main sticking points in the colonies declaring independence from our good friends overseas was “Taxation without representation.” Meaning, the people in jolly old England collected taxes from the colonists, but they did not have any say in how that money was spent. Our government is set up so every person who pays taxes has a representative in the government. The sad thing is that most of us do not ever have contact with this person. It is not that we are unable. It is that complaining is easier than looking up contact information. We should regularly share what is, and is not important to us with our elected representatives. On a personal level, we should always make our desires and what is important to us known to those who make decisions that affect our life as well. This includes our boss, our spouse and anyone who plays a roll in making decisions in our life. This is not to say we should be a fountain of complaint. Far from it. Just like in politics, when you are charming and persuasive, the results are a lot better. My suggestion is to read the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Another point of grievance was freedom of religion. Not all of the colonists wanted to belong to the great church of England. They wanted to be free to practice their religion, whatever that may be. Personally, I think this is a good thing to be able to do. As long as your belief does not bring harm to others, it is my belief that you should be able to practice whatever religion makes your spirit happy. I think laws based on specific religions or dogma do not belong in an independent country. Laws for common sense morality are a different story. Another important point to note is that laws cannot govern one’s heart. What you believe is a personal and spiritual process, not one that can be mandated by the state.

Speaking of personal, there is a way in which this can be applied to our personal lives. Just as the government has no right to tell you what religion you should practice, neither does your neighbor. As long as your religion is focused on bettering yourself and not causing harm to others, it does not matter in what form it takes. You may not have to agree with the ritual and beliefs of your neighbor, but you must respect them. That is part of being independence. You would not want them telling you what you must believe, therefore, you must not tell them what is right or wrong when it comes to their spiritual beliefs. That is one reason the ‘golden rule’ is the same in so many spiritual practices. We all are required to respect our neighbor, just as they should respect us. I think this is one thing that could use a great deal of attention in today’s world. Being independent is not only being free to believe and worship how you choose, but to allow others to do the same. That especially holds true for those who are different than we are.