“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”.
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness…
The 4th of July holiday is just around the corner, the day when we commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. That historic document proclaimed to the world our birth as a new nation, “with liberty and justice for all.”
As I worked on the menu for my Independence Day barbeque, I was thinking about freedom and what it means in the spiritual sense. It occurred to me that spiritual freedom begins when you make the simple choice not to live in a cage of your own making, but instead “pursue happiness” by listening to the wisdom of your soul.
Taking the first step toward establishing your Spiritual Independence.
Start with awareness. Snap yourself out of auto-pilot mode and go through an entire day paying particular attention to your thoughts, actions, and feelings. Notice how often and under what circumstances you do the following:
– Have a strong reaction, negative or positive, to someone else’s judgment of you
– Make the “safe” choice based on fear of what could go wrong.
– Feel guilt, worry or insecurity.
– Repeat a familiar behavior, and get the same old result.
– Spend time feeling resentment or anger about the current or past behavior of others.
– Say yes when you ‘d like to say no.
– Feel stuck – in a job, relationship, or any place you don’t want to be.
After a day or two spent noticing your behavior and the mindset that accompanies your actions, you’ll start to see areas where you are limiting yourself. These are opportunities to break down what is blocking you from experiencing your soul destiny – and establishing your Spiritual Independence.
Breaking down the walls.
Ready to declare your own Spiritual Freedom? Start with releasing yourself from:
- Putting the expectations of others over your own desires. Too much concern about pleasing other people can cause you to lose touch with your own desires. The key to Spiritual Freedom in this area is the realization that other people’s judgments and expectations of YOU are their issue – not yours.
- Holding on to old “stuff” from your childhood. Childhood traumas, insecurities, failures are in the past, and they shouldn’t be allowed to define who you are today. Break those chains and listen to your inner voice – it knows the real you!
- Fear based decision-making. Fear and worry form an energetic wall that blocks abundance from flowing into your life. Faced with something (or someone) that you perceive as unfamiliar, overly challenging, or dangerous? Instead of reacting with fear, imagine the best possible result – an adventure, a wonderful new friend, a new personal best. Choose excitement and optimism instead of allowing fear to limit you.
- Judgment of others. The more love that you generate, the more that you will attract. Judging others is the opposite of loving them – so replace those inclinations with empathy, compassion and unconditional love.
- Refusing to let go of old grudges and grievances. Forgiveness isn’t excusing someone’s bad behavior, it’s refusing to allow that behavior to have an effect on you. Let it go – for your own sake. Forgiveness is the biggest and most important key on your Spiritual Freedom key chain!
- The crazy-making belief that you have to be perfect. Do your best, but don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect. Perfectionism generates fear, anxiety and stress – the opposite of Spiritual Independence!
American independence didn’t come easy – first there was a long war, which was finally won. Hopefully there won’t be any bloodshed involved with establishing your Spiritual Independence, but there will most likely be some internal battles. I often recommend my 28 Days to Total Transformation course to students struggling to overcome their limiting behaviors and destructive patterns.
I have faith that with mindfulness, self-care and trust in your own soul wisdom, you can release yourself from whatever is holding you back, and soon be celebrating your own positive transformation.