Independence Day

July 4, 2018 By

History of the 4th of July.

The tradition of patriotic celebration became even more widespread after the War of 1812, in which the United States again faced Great Britain. In 1870, the U.S. Congress made July 4th a federal holiday; in 1941, the provision was expanded to grant a paid holiday to all federal employees.

I’m always fascinated as to how our holidays came to be. For a lot of folks it is another day off. Which, hey, I’m all for that too. Yet, as with everything there is always more to it.

So I poked around and found this awesome link about the history of July 4th:

“Over the years, the political importance of the holiday would decline, but Independence Day remained an important national holiday and a symbol of patriotism.

Falling in mid-summer, the Fourth of July has since the late 19th century become a major focus of leisure activities and a common occasion for family get-togethers, often involving fireworks and outdoor barbecues. The most common symbol of the holiday is the American flag, and a common musical accompaniment is “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the national anthem of the United States.”

I thought I’d share it with you since it is afterall, the 4th of July! https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th

“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” –John F. Kennedy, inaugural address, January 20, 1961

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May you have a happy, healthy and fun Independence Day (if you are in the United States)! 😊✨ And may you remember that you have all it takes to create independence for yourself and your business.

I know it’s summer and a lot of people put things on hold. If you are one of those that want to keep your momentum going through the summer and need a little support, set up a free 30 minute session with me. We’ll create a do-able plan that still leave room for you to enjoy your summer!  Click here to be on your way.

 

Filed Under: Empowerment, Self Worth Tagged With: , ,

How Independent Are You?

July 8, 2013 By

flag and fireworksWe just celebrated Independence Day in the United States and it got me thinking about being independent.  Many of us think we are independent yet we really aren’t.  We are often driven by outside influences, some people refer to them as ‘outside forces’, that work against us… or so we believe.  Truth be told, we have all the power to be independent right within us.

What does independent mean anyway?  Some other words are:  self-governing, self-determining, self-regulating and my favorite, free.

How many times have you made a decision based on how it would positively affect those around you?  Think about it.  You believed if you made a certain choice, something you truly wanted to do, that it would upset or inconvenience someone else… so you didn’t.  You didn’t go out to dinner with your girlfriends because your spouse would have to prepare his own dinner on the fly.  You didn’t attend a one-day seminar on a topic that really interested you because your mom wanted you to help clean out her closets that day.

Is that being independent?

It’s true, we think we are acting of our own free will but instead we often put our own wants, desires and needs aside to please someone else.  Now I’m not saying for you to stop doing that, what I am bringing to the table is to think about how many times you are acting independently.

Dependency is sneaky; sometimes we don’t even know we are being that way and falling into the trap.  We think we’re doing something nice for our spouse, our children, our parents, or our friends but then we get annoyed at them because—for goodness sake!—we are doing it for them and they don’t even appreciate what we’re giving up.

When you decide to lose weight for someone other than yourself, you are being dependent.  When you say yes when you want to say no, you are being dependent.  If you truly want to be independent, you must start speaking up and making your needs and wants known.  You will also have to be prepared for someone to get upset with you or inconvenienced.  It’s how it goes.  You can’t please everyone all the time.

Some very simple (yet not often easy) ways for you to empower yourself are:

  1. Say YES when you really want to.
  2. Say NO when you really want to.
  3. Don’t be afraid to say NO after you have said YES.

It’s absolutely amazing when you empower yourself, those around you are both inspired and empowered, too.  Don’t you think you deserve that?  Don’t you think your loved ones deserve that?  Absolutely, you all do!

In the end, the true independence you give yourself will be well worth it.  You will be happy with your life and your decisions.  You will wholeheartedly be there for those you love, while allowing them to become independent also.  Together you will create unity, freedom… and justice for all!

I would love for you to share what you have done to assert your independence and inspire it in others. Please share your thoughts, insights and revelations below!

Filed Under: Personal Development, Self Worth Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,