As Americans our ancestors declared independence from taxation without representation in 1776. To take this important national holiday to a personal level, what have you declared independence from over the last few months or days?
Being with family over the Fourth gave me a great opportunity to learn from others who had successfully declared independence. A powerful example is a cousin who decided that she was not going to succumb to dying in her early 50s as had her grandmother and aunt. What’s more when she got breast cancer two years ago, she declared she would do her best to deal with it successfully as her mother has. Her mother has been in remission for 30 years.
As I reflected on my own situation, my declarations are unique to my own challenges:
- I declare independence from people and situations that drain me.
- I declare independence from doing things in ways that overly deplete me. (We all experience fatigue from a day’s work, and when the fatigue doesn’t leave after a good night’s sleep or a vacation, it’s a good idea to find out why.)
- I declare independence from unconsciousness about eating and my body.
- I declare independence from holding on when it’s time to let go!
What are your personal declarations of independence this year?
