The 2014 NSACE Board of Directors recently met to write the top 10 things that “independence” means to them. After making their  list, more than 10 things were listed. So, we did our best to share the most important:

1. Being able to vote - Every citizen has the right to help choose our leaders, our lawmakers, and the laws that they enforce.
2. Freedom of religion - All of us can choose how we wish to worship, if we choose to at all.
3. Security - Violence is present in the entire world. Our country is protected as well as any nation in the world.
4. Independence - The ability to make our own choices. In every facet of our life, including having a choice of different insurance companies to choose from through one independent agency, we are so fortunate to make our own choices in everything we do!
5. Freedom of speech - We can voice our own opinion without fear of retaliation.
6. Peace - We can live peacefully if we choose to, knowing that only our choices dictate our future.
7. Education - We could learn as much as we want every day in our free society. Right now, an education is given to us for free for at least 12 years and beyond that, if we choose to accept it and earn it.
8. Liberty - Our founding fathers coined the phrase "give me liberty or give me death". As a free society, we have equal rights to all that is offered as a society.
9. Democracy - In a way, this is a result of number one on our list - our freedom to vote. In our democracy, our government is chosen by the people, and for the people. The rule of the majority is exercised by the people, through a system of representation.
10. Pursuit of happiness - We, the authors of this article, feel the "pursuit of happiness" is the result of all of our wonderful freedoms combined! Every person can choose their destiny every moment of every day.