As a nation built upon the ideal of freedom, we cherish and celebrate the approval by Congress of The Declaration of Independence. This document is held sacred in our history as the piece of paper that announced, in no uncertain terms, that living under someone else’s rule (King George III’s) was no longer an option. It outlines our commonly agreed upon philosophy and asserts that the government’s true power comes from “the consent of the governed” – not from an external entity such as the King of England.
We celebrated our country’s freedom earlier this month as we do every Fourth of July. This July, I hope you will consider that the Declaration of Independence does more than declare independence from England. This document represents each individual’s ability to be free, an ability that we each inherently possess.
Freedom comes from within. True freedom is simply realizing that you always have the choice to think and believe as you choose regardless of what anyone else says, thinks, or does. The choices you make and the action you take come from the thoughts and beliefs that govern your life.
Throughout life we (often unwittingly) adopt belief systems from those who influence us. When those beliefs that control your life run contrary to your own personal truth you cease to feel free.
The good news is that the belief systems adopted over the course of your lifetime only exist because you allow them. You may – at any time – choose to exorcise the ones that rule you without serving you, just as our forefathers exorcised England’s rule over our nation.
True freedom stems from the consent of the governed – You. You are both the governed and the government in your own life. Every thought you think is an opportunity to declare independence. When your thoughts are not serving you, it is your job to recognize it and do something about it. It is your “duty to throw off such government”. Nobody else can do it for you.
This July I invite you to create your own personal Declaration of Independence. Decide what is working for you and what isn’t. If you aren’t experiencing life as you would like or the liberty you long to feel, and if your pursuit of happiness is more like a distant memory than a current reality, then make the choice to take back your own power by freeing yourself from the oppressive thoughts that keep you shackled. Declare, in no uncertain terms, that living under someone else’s rule is no longer an option.
Freedom is the power to choose. You can have freedom now without losing a thing except for the very thing that obstructs it – your beliefs. You get to choose your thoughts and beliefs. Keep the ones that serve you, dissolve the rest, and create a path to freedom and independence that only you can choose.
I have previously written about The Gift of the Unexpected. How you view the unexpected is a good way to start examining your beliefs. Personally, I choose to believe that in all things there is a gift. Even when it is difficult to see, good things always flow from bad. Choosing to look for it is up to you.
Looking for the gift in unexpected “hardship” symbolizes the hope that characterizes the American spirit. It is truly amazing that a roughshod group of untrained farmers secured our country’s freedom from the most powerful nation at the time. If our founding fathers had not believed it was possible to become a free nation, it may never have been. They had to believe it to achieve it.
So I ask, what do you need to believe to set yourself free?