It is wonderful to be alive, and to be free. Its my birthday, and although I worked today, I enjoyed some retrospection. One thing I noticed is I often avoid writing in my blog because I don’t have all my other posts in order, or because the NSA, CIA or some space alien might read it. Who cares. You only live once.
Victor Frankl talks about freedom, as opposed to liberty. He was a neo-Freudian who believed in stimulus and response. During his time in a Nazi concentration camp during WWII, he came to the realization amidst the horrors, that though the guards and the camp itself may have taken away many of his liberties, no one could take away his freedom. His freedom had to do with being able to choose a response.
Steven Covey talks about this in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Animals do stimulus and response, but one of the things that sets us apart is that we can actually choose a different response than one we have been conditioned to repeat.
These are among the many things I am thankful for today: Freedom, enough food to eat, a place to live and call my space, clothes to wear, and water to drink. Basic needs are not to be taken for granted. I have friends, and a comfortable life. In the next year, I hope to add more meaning to this life.