How do you respond when that initial flash appears? Do you get caught up in excitement of it? Are you likely to share your enthusiasm in a way that is noisy—or are you more likely to watch in silence? What is your NATURAL TENDENCY?

In name of freedom everywhere, I’d like to offer this tip to those who may be convinced that mindfulness requires silence: try making noise. And to those who are more likely to hoot and holler, here’s a suggestion: be quiet.

In other words, use fireworks as an opportunity to free yourself from your typical response pattern, and pay attention to newness of it. After all, mindfulness starts when we notice something new. So, instead of focusing on always finding something to get excited about, try tweaking your own way of reacting. And then, watch THAT.

Start with big, glorious displays in night sky. Observe. Watch yourself. Do what you normally wouldn’t do.

Later, try same thing with those mental fireworks. Observe. Watch yourself. Do what you normally wouldn’t do.

And celebrate your independence.

Cash is king. The price may seem same, but put those things on a credit card and, with interest, you'll pay a lot more. Cash means you have to save and wait a little for things, but you can buy more and have less stress. Credit cards provide illusion of a richer life. Escaping debt gives you reality.

Finally, learn to understand costs and benefits. A friend once came to realization, using pen and paper, that his jetski cost him $300 for every hour he used it first year. Loan interest, gas, insurance, depreciation, repairs, licenses - these things add up. And he thought it was too expensive to pay $100 per day to rent one! Consider real costs of things, and look for a cheaper way, or at least make an honest decision that it's worth $300 per hour to you.

Your things should be making your life better. If they aren't, you need to start looking at them differently. Don't let your things own you. Change your approach.