Declaration of Independence in My Own Life

Today is July 4th, commemorating the Declaration of Independence by our founding fathers in 1776 in response to a tyrannical British king. The declaration alone did not achieve independence; it simply was a declaration, a line drawn in the sand with a cry of "ENOUGH!!!". The Declaration of Independence was a battle cry. After which The United States faced the hard and daunting task to FIGHT for freedom and liberty, paying dearly with pain, agony, blood and life. Seven years later, in 1783, the United States won the Revolutionary War and was granted Freedom and achieved Liberty.

As I reflect on this historical moment in time, I reflect also on declarations of independence in my own personal life. As I declare ENOUGH, I face the daunting task to fight through fear, habits and myths toward change, growth, freedom, healing and health. My battle doesn't END when I make a declaration (choice) to change my life; the declaration STARTS the battle! In my weak and dark moments when strength and resolve cause me to falter, I refer again to my declaration, my determination, my goal so that I am reminded of what I want in my life. My declaration is the picture of my goal. In those moments of weakness, when I may not "feel" like it, when I face fear, my declaration infuses me with courage and strength; my declaration is a reminder of that moment in time when I made a decision for a better life. So it is then, when I dig back in and fight onward toward my goal. The Declaration of Independence by the founding fathers is an inspiration reminding me that I may have to fight for years between my declaration and my acquisition of my goal. In short: Those who don't quit, don't fail! 

This reflection leads me to think about these words, how they are different and how do they manifest in my life:
Independence.
Freedom
Liberty.

I found this explanation on a blog which describes it quite well:

The Fourth of July is the day on which Americans commemorate their nation's independence, a word that implies the ability to stand alone, without being sustained by anything else.  

While independence is usually associated with countries or nations, freedom and liberty more often apply to people.  

But unlike freedom, which implies an absence of restraint or compulsion (the freedom to speak openly), liberty implies the power to choose among alternatives rather than merely being unrestrained (the liberty to select their own form of government). Freedom can also apply to many different types of oppressive influences (freedom from interruption; freedom to leave the room at any time), while liberty often connotes deliverance or release (he gave the slaves their liberty). 

Freedom and liberty are NOT the same thing. Freedom is devoid of responsibility ("nothing left to lose"?) and awareness for it's environment, people and society included.. 

"My freedom ends where yours begins" 

This maxim speaks directly of the true nature of what it means to live in a group (which connotes a society, which connotes all sorts of things like laws and politics.) If "freedom ends", then it is not by definition freedom, for freedom has no limits. If I accept that there is a self and an other, and that we have met, then it is with liberty that we must live together. I am free to kill you, but living in a group it goes further than mere freedom, for I have the liberty to choose to do so and suffer the responsibility such an act entails.

I wholeheartedly agree that freedom doesn't also mean having liberty. My dog has freedom to roam the yard (limited by the boundary I set for her roaming), but she doesn't have liberty to CHOOSE to roam across the road. Liberty in my own life allows me to choose how to live my life and incur the cost of consequence (bodily, mentally, spiritually or legally) of my choices.

I believe too many people in society want to be free (with boundaries set by the government, society or religion) because they don't want the responsibility of making their own choices and incurring the consequences. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility! For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect."

I seek Liberty in my life, in my relationships, in my world. Without the choice to live my life how I believe is best for me, without the choice to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, I have nothing. In the words of Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death!"


NOTE:

A week ago I finally kicked the soda habit! Last week was my "declaration of independence"...I am no longer a subject helping to build the empire of wealth for soda corporations.

Today, I am still fighting the battle to win my liberty in mind, body and health, but it's becoming easier with each passing day. Today's blog was on how I made the connection to the Declaration of Independence and making it personal in my life.

For a long time, I've been eating unprocessed foods...this was the last piece of my dietary food shift. My soda habit (or any other food) wasn't simply the consuming of it, but also buying, tasting and being associated with flavor/texture combinations. So being aware of all that has helped me break those little strands that make the whole habit. I've discovered I enjoy UNsweetened tea!! Zero calories!! I no longer feel the cravings, sugar-crashes, bloats, etc that I did before. Oh, and already, my pants are fitting better too :)

When we eat processed "foods" (I put food in quotes because processed food is not really food), we crave more processed "foods" because they don't provide the same nutrients as raw or unprocessed foods; they don't provide the nutrients the body needs, so the body craves more as it seeks body-healing nutrients. 
Several years ago, I put my cat on a "low fat" diet when she was spayed, but within 4 months time, she actually GAINED 3 pounds!! A friend of mine made the astute observation that my cat probably was eating more to compensate for lack of nutrients in her diet. I changed her diet back and lost weight.