The 4th of July is my least favorite holiday, largely because of the way we celebrate it. The fireworks do a number on our ability to get our kids to sleep. When I had dogs they used to cry all night. And it lasts for daaaaays. So I’m not a fan.

I am a fan of freedom. The freedom to decide and define your life as you see fit. I think a lot about the self-imposed prisons and shackles that we create for ourselves. They’re often the reason we convince ourselves that we aren’t allowed to prioritize ourselves and allow room for our true desires.

One of my shackles was the belief that I was responsible for getting people across the finish line. I would take someone else’s goals and own their success to reach them. I would take personal responsibility for their success.

Clients, business partners, talent, friends, family…you name it, I convinced myself to drag them over the finish line. Even if it meant kicking and screaming.

You know already know the lesson I’ve learned there, right You can’t want something more for someone than they want for themselves.

Even when they seek your help, you can’t force them to take action. Right?

But I’d find myself tethered to the idea that their failure was a reflection of me. How silly is this notion? I know I’m not alone in this delusion, either. Last year I decided to prioritize my own undoing and editing. I decided to release these seemingly innocent, yet sabotaging beliefs I had about myself and my responsibilities. It’s not easy to walk away from things when you care too much. But you can’t care more than the person you’re doing it for.

When we talk about releasing things that don’t serve us, it’s easier to do so with the overt toxic traits habits, and people. I happen to know that sometimes these shackles can be less obvious. They can feel good but they’re really just tickling our egos. Feeding the ego will always keep you from your true breakthrough.

What habits, patterns, or reactions exist in your life that you know you need to free yourself from so that you can grow?

Today I’m sharing this Personal Declaration of Independence exercise that I created a few years ago.

I created this to remind you beautiful souls that you are in control

of your life. It doesn't just happen to you. You just need to release the

things that no longer serve your purpose and set an intention for your

vision of life.

To use this:

Grab a pen & paper. Read the declaration as many times as it takes for it to resonate with you.

Visualize yourself on this journey to creating the life of your dreams.

Imagine the experiences you will have through that journey. Take a

moment and sit in those thoughts.

When you’re ready, think of the habits, people, emotions, or entities in your

current life that will likely hinder your ability to reach the vision you had a

moment ago. These are the things you want to free yourself from.

Write that in the first section.

In the next section, consider what it releasing those things would like like

to you. How will you know that you are actively doing it? What would the

alternative look like or the outcome? What would be necessary to release

them?

Write that in the second part.

Lastly, set the intention for your life using "I am" statements. Declare who

you will be when you free yourself of these things that no longer serve you.

Review and revisit this process as often as possible in all areas of your life.

DECLARE THIS: Today, I declare that I will let go of the things that no longer serve me, my values, or my goals. I acknowledge that in doing so, it will make some friends and family uncomfortable, even insecure. But I will not apologize for that. And I will not allow their insecurities to make me think I am not good enough. I also recognize that this may require me to take this journey alone. When I feel alone, I will seek guidance from trusted sources until I am strong enough to trust my potential and this process. I am willing to do this because I am worthy of the life of my dreams. I commit to lean into my fears, take imperfect action, set my intentions, and forgive my future self for all the mistakes we will make along this journey. I choose to rise to my potential Today, I am choosing to do more of the things that bring me joy.

FIRST PART: These things no longer serve me. Therefore, I am freeing myself of:

SECOND PART: I will know that I am releasing myself from them because it (the process) will look like this:

THIRD PART: In releasing these things, I am affirming my potential. I affirm that I am: