“Freedom comes with an inherent responsibility to make choices that are moral, ethical, and beneficial to all.”        –N. Anderson

Understanding Freedom

I remember my first taste of freedom—getting my driver’s license. I felt so free, so in control as I got into the car for the first time, alone. That is, until I got pulled over.
“May I see your driver’s license, young lady?” the officer asked. I started to cry as I handed it over.

He smiled (I saw nothing worth smiling about in that moment) and said, “I see you’re a new driver. Let me give you the same advice I gave my kids before they started driving solo.”

He went on to explain the responsibility that comes with getting a driver’s license. He shared that our actions impact others, and that freedom comes with a duty to make choices that are not all about me. Wait, what? News to a 16-year-old!

In other words, driving is a freedom that comes with responsibility. He never gave me a ticket. Talk about someone in a leadership position leading with compassion.

Taking Responsibility

That memory is as clear as yesterday. That day, I learned that my newfound freedom as a driver came with responsibility, something I never considered as a teenager.

As we celebrate the Fourth of July, it’s important to remember the moral and ethical responsibility that comes with freedom. It shifts the idea of freedom as a self-centered privilege to a collective responsibility. This holds true is positions of leadership too.

Who would have thought that one of the best lessons I ever learned about freedom and leadership would come from being pulled over?

Here’s to independence, freedom, and responsibility!

Wishing you a safe and happy 4th of July!

Love,

Nicki