Looking out upon a sky full of colorful bursts of light, I found myself thinking about another kind of independence: the independence of mind. One of our most sacred gifts, this is the freedom we each have to interface with the present moment and to direct our thoughts within it. It's a gift that has always been as readily available to the king as to the pauper–the original equal opportunity!
Often taken for granted (human nature is great at that), this incredible power drives even our most mundane decisions. I’m talking about basic autonomy: she likes her coffee black; he prefers it with two sugars and a cream. Or consider my views on roller coasters, which have shifted twice! As a child, I loved them; later, I found them terrifying (likely linked to adrenal fatigue)... but then recently, I learned to love them again! Which goes to show how something we didn’t like last week might appeal to us tomorrow.