We show each day that we are prepared to act as an independence

"We show each day that we are prepared to act as an independent state... Not just in exceptional moments." – Carles Puigdemont

Mark well these words, O seeker of truth, for they are not the boast of an idle dreamer, but the solemn vow of a people awakening to their own destiny. When Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan leader, spoke them, he did not speak only for his nation — he spoke for every soul that has ever yearned to be free. For true independence is not born in the roar of a single uprising, nor sealed by one moment of triumph. It is forged slowly, each day, in the steadfast acts of those who live as though they are already free.

To act as an independent state is to live with dignity even under constraint, to make choices rooted in self-respect, and to govern oneself — not merely by laws written on parchment, but by the inner law of conscience. Puigdemont’s words carry the spirit of a thousand struggles, from the dawn of nations to the battles of the modern age. He reminds us that liberty is not a feast of celebration, but a discipline of constancy — that those who seek freedom must practice it daily, not wait for the call of “exceptional moments.”

Let us recall the story of Mahatma Gandhi, who taught his people to act as free men and women long before India’s chains were broken. He urged them to spin their own cloth, to refuse unjust rule, and to walk with the quiet strength of independence — though the empire still towered above them. When asked how a nation might be born, Gandhi replied not with fire and fury, but with daily acts of self-reliance and moral courage. And so, by living as though they were already free, the Indian people became so in truth. This is the spirit Puigdemont evokes — the sacred truth that freedom begins not with declaration, but with discipline.

There are those who wait for revolutions to grant them dignity. But the wise know that independence is not given; it is lived. To act each day as a sovereign soul is to declare through one’s actions what one’s lips need never shout. When citizens build, teach, serve, and dream as though their destiny were already in their hands, they weave the invisible tapestry of nationhood. A state does not become independent by words or flags alone — it is made independent by the spirit of its people, who rise each morning and say, “We are ready.”

In this, Puigdemont’s words transcend the borders of Catalonia. They speak to every individual, every community, and every nation that stands on the threshold of freedom. For what is true of states is true also of the human heart. You, too, must learn to act as an independent being, not merely when the world praises your courage, but when silence and struggle test your resolve. To live nobly when no one watches — that is the truest form of freedom.

The lesson, then, is clear: do not wait for the perfect moment to claim your independence. Live it now. Whether in the governance of nations or the governance of self, begin with small acts of sovereignty — choosing your own thoughts, standing firm in your principles, and shaping your own destiny. Let each day be proof of your preparation, not an exception to it. For those who wait for extraordinary times will die unready; those who live with purpose each day will find themselves free when the hour comes.

So, let this teaching be carried like a torch: independence is not a moment — it is a manner of being. Let your words, your work, your compassion, and your courage show that you are already the master of your fate. And when the world looks upon you — whether as a person or a people — let them see not rebellion, but readiness; not noise, but nobility. As Carles Puigdemont proclaimed with the fire of the ancients: show each day that you are prepared to act as an independent state... not just in exceptional moments. For that is how freedom is won — and how it endures forever.