We are celebrating Independence Day here in the United States on July 4th. We celebrate our freedom on many levels, whether physically, spiritually or emotionally.

Let’s take a look at the general definition of FREEDOM:

“Freedom, generally, is having the ability to act or change without constraint. Something is “free” if it can change easily and is not constrained in its present state. … A person has the freedom to do things that will not, in theory or in practice, be prevented by other forces.”

Within our Constitution and laws there are some guidelines for freedom with respect to others and yourself which include:

·         Freedom of Association

·         Freedom of Belief

·         Freedom of Speech

·         Freedom to express oneself

·         Freedom of the press

·         Freedom to choose one’s state in life

·         Freedom of religion

·         Freedom from bondage and slavery

·         Freedom of education

·         And more… https://simplicable.com/new/freedom

Also, cause for celebration is the freedom of choice and spirit; the freedom to function and be who you came here to be. In this new way of being in the COVID age, you have a new opportunity to be a fully functioning individual.

What does that mean? What is a fully functioning person? Carl Rogers describes this as an ongoing process. That’s a given with the goal of peace and joy. Rogers’ seven characteristics are rooted more in philosophy than everyday life.

The basis of everything above comes down to CHOICE.

“Freedom of choice describes an individual’s opportunity and autonomy to perform an action selected from at least two available options, unconstrained by external parties.”

·        You can choose to be happy…or not.

·        You can choose to be open to new experiences.

·        You can choose your own opinion on what happens around you and not depend on the opinions of others.

·        You can choose to trust that the choices you make are best for you.

·        You can make decisions for you without concern for the criticism of others.

·        You can choose to live in harmony with others and be accepting of diversity.

·        You can choose to grow by being open to constructive criticism and choose or not to accept it.

·        You can choose to love yourself enough that you don’t need the others to make you feel whole and powerful.

·        You can choose to be creative and express yourself in a healthy way.

The more freedom and autonomy people have, the greater their well-being. The more choice people have, the greater their freedom and autonomy. Therefore, the more choice people have, the greater their well- being.

How will you choose FREEDOM?

What will you choose?

Happy Independence Day!!