In 1947, sixty seven years ago today on the 14th of August, negotiations finally worked in favor of those who wanted independence. Today is the Independence Day of Pakistan.

But independence comes at a price. Freedom always brings with it the responsibilities. To reclaim my freedom, I must pay the price. To be independent, I must do my duty.

In the fight between desire and duty, the best route is to desire my duty! But what is my duty? To be the best I can be.

How? By doing justice to all the gifts I have been given.

“With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve” ~ M A Jinnah, Founder of Pakistan

Independence is sometimes misunderstood. Freedom does not mean you can do whatever you feel like; freedom means that you can choose what to do. You can choose good, and you can choose bad. Freedom works both ways.

Can you choose? Are you allowed to choose? From the typical “my boss won’t let me” to the subtle “my bias won’t let me”, I need freedom to choose my own bosses and freedom to choose my own opinions.

Real independence is choosing the best route, instead of the easiest one.

The most dangerous of all assumptions is that the struggle for freedom has an end. No, the struggle can never stop. Only two states of being: either you grow or your decay. Either you stay free or you tighten that noose around your neck. Either you join the struggle, or your find comfort in your shackles.

The war for independence never stops.