Let’s Celebrate Freedom!

Independence Day, on the Fourth of July, is a US holiday that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which declared our freedom and independence from Great Britain.

In the US, July 4th is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, family reunions and political speeches and ceremonies that celebrate the history, government and traditions of the United States of America.

Celebrating Freedom

There are many types of freedom including religious and political freedom, freedom of speech and the acceptance of our Basic Human Rights. Many of us who have grown up with these basic freedoms tend to take them for granted. We assume that everyone in the world has the same inherent freedoms that we do.

But freedom is definitely something we need to celebrate! Many of our forefathers didn’t have the freedom we have today, and sadly, there are still many people in other countries who don’t have the basic freedoms that we enjoy daily.

The great Walt Disney once said, “Once a man has tasted freedom, he will never be content to be a slave.”

Emotional Freedom

It is only because of our basic freedoms and Human Rights that were established two hundred years ago, that we now have the opportunity to learn and grow as human beings and experience other freedoms in our lives as well. Eric Fromm, a noted American Psychologist, said “Freedom is the fundamental condition for any growth.”

Since the late 1900s, our culture has become very interested in Emotional Freedom. Emotional Freedom is the opportunity to liberate yourself from negative emotions, like worry, fear, anger, blame or guilt. Emotional Freedom gives you a roadmap to overcome challenging emotions and live with joy, self-esteem and inner peace.

Freedom from ‘Emotional Baggage’

In our efforts to be Emotionally Free, many of us have found that it’s also important to be free of our emotional baggage. When we are free from our emotional baggage, we can be more happy and lighthearted and our relationships with others become easier and less stressful.

The term ’emotional baggage’ refers to the unresolved emotional issues that we carry with us that negatively affect our everyday lives. When we have lots of emotional baggage, we may get angry easily and over-react to everyday situations, we may feel paranoid and expect the worst or sometimes we are simply negative or withdrawn.

Getting free of our emotional baggage is a process of being present with the feelings we’re experiencing. Then it’s learning to release the emotional pain and come back to a genuine feeling of inner peace.

Basic Emotional Rights

Thanks to our Basic Human Rights that were established many years ago, we now also have many Basic Emotional Rights. Some of these include:

1. The right to have freedom and protection from all types of abuse, whether it is physical, emotional, verbal, sexual or spiritual.
2. The right to be ourselves and live the life we choose.
3. The right to live free from other’s put-downs or angry outbursts.
4. The right to be free from emotional or physical threats.
5. The right to be treated with love and respect.
6. The right to speak our truth.
7. The right to have our feelings acknowledged and validated.
8. The right to live free from criticism and judgment or from accusation and blame.
9. The right to be listened to and respected, even when others disagree.
10. The right to encouragement and support.
11. The right to set boundaries about what we don’t want in our lives.
12. The right to have sincere apologies when others hurt us or harm us in any way.
13. The right to have our interests and our work respected in the world.
14. The right  to ask questions about what is legitimately our business.
15. The right to negotiate differences rather than being overpowered or controlled.

Gratitude for Our Freedoms

It’s important to be grateful for our freedoms and remember that there are many other people who are still struggling to establish freedom in their lives.

So as we celebrate this national holiday, let’s be grateful for the all freedoms we have and remember how fortunate we are to experience them regularly!

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