FREEDOM

Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey is an international star and a true cowboy. He is an 18 year old Capuchin Monkey and he is one of the biggest little monkeys in the world. Whiplash has been riding since he was two years old. He travels the United States herding up wild Barbados sheep at rodeos and special events. His riding ability is unmatched and his herding skills unchallenged but Whiplash never misses a chance to show his monkey heritage; as he rides the dog he will pull the saddle from side to side and even hang off to one side mimicking an Indian hideaway.

Recently on the Discovery Channel I saw the sad story of an English couple who had kept their Capuchin monkey pet in a tiny cage in their small apartment for 16 years. Now these two monkeys didn’t have much choice in the course of their lives, but we do. We can build ourselves little cages and shy away from adventure, hiding our light under a bushel, as it were, or we can seek to expand our minds and our lives and create value for millions through our contribution. Sam Walton could have chosen to operate small variety stores, but instead he created Wal-Mart and promoted Capitalism and privatization.

Any time we rely on something or somebody, we lose freedom. Anything or anybody that we believe we need controls us. Ayn Rand defined freedom thus: “To ask for nothing, to expect nothing, to depend on nothing.” We can grow as big as our dreams or stay as small as our fears. We can respond and react, borrow and beg, or we can develop, control, produce and create. We have that choice. You can be the boss or the employee, the slave or the master. But the beginning point is to become the master of your own mind, and to realize that everything you have and everything you are is essentially your own creation.

The great news is that it’s never too late to change. We are always faced with two choices: we can advance or retreat. We can get bigger and stronger by embracing new opportunities and developments or we can shrink from the challenges we face. Have a look at faces of the people carrying placards to prevent a Wal-Mart store from opening in south Vancouver. Do these collectivists look happy, successful, inspired and creative, or are they simply bitter and confused puppets of the local shop keepers? You tell me. When a Wal-Mart opens, these are the same people who buy there!

Freedom is the ability to choose your own destiny and reaction to life, to accept that you are the captain of your own ship and that you do not have to accept the limitations or others. Eagles are free – they are not affected by what others say, do or think. Individualists and creators do not take the lead from second-handers and cult member. They love Robert Frost’s “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Break free. Insist on your freedom. Have fun. Create a lifestyle and a business that promotes your freedom to create, produce and make your own decisions. Like Whiplash, don’t be a sheep – be a herder instead.

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Robin J. Elliott is an Honored Member of America's Who's Who of Outstanding Professionals 2006. He is officially included in the International Who's Who of Entrepreneurs of 2002 and was nominated as a candidate for inclusion in the 2004-2005 edition of the International Who's Who of Professionals.