"We have the responsibility of planning, of setting goals, of developing and having a 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 for our future... for self, family, business and then assertively and persistently working toward it. The alternative is surrender to randomness. Being squishy in-between those opposites is no good either; you are either about self-determination, independence and autonomy, or you aren't. It is about working to achieve a 'worthy ideal.' The government so brilliantly conceived by our founders was and is a worthy ideal, grounded on certain 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 values. If we untether from those, we have no UNITED States. The achievement of personal independence carries the same fact: it is 𝗡𝗢𝗧 un-defined, anything-goes, everything-is-relative freedom. No such thing exists as freedom. It has to be tethered to 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 values, ideals. To sustain your independence, you need governing principles, so as to cope with and get through adversity after adversity after adversity." - Dan Kennedy
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Over the past few years I've watched far too many seemingly smart people quick to surrender their freedom and independence based on: 1) what I call, "fear with very little facts" and, 2) in the name of "safety." It reminds me of a famous Ben Franklin quote: "They who give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety."