It’s Independence Day in the USA!
Hi friend, and happy 4th of July!
I hope you have a great day, filled with family, fun, and some rest. We will be repairing the sprinkler system as two very naughty German Shorthaired Pointers decided to dig up and chew through the entire soaker hose array in our flower bed.
I also have a pile of last-minute assignments my publicist dropped on me yesterday, in preparation for my book launch in 14 days! Hope is the First Dose is coming to you quickly, and we believe it will be extremely helpful in learning to hold onto hope no matter what you’re facing.
In case you have a few minutes of time to listen to a podcast today, here’s a replay for Infinitely Happier 14: The Science of Freedom, to give you some thoughts on the value of declaring your independence from things that are hurting your life.
And for today’s daily dose of hope, here’s a letter I wrote a while back that might help you find hope in freedom!
I hope you have a great day, and that you're off with your family doing something fun. I'm going to give you a short thought today; perhaps it will help today be more than just a holiday.
July 4 is Independence Day in the United States. We celebrate our independence from Britain, earned with the heroism and blood of the earliest Americans.
The men who wrote the Declaration of Independence and framed our constitution pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to establish this nation on the basis of freedom.
And now, over two hundred years later, I want to encourage you, no matter where you live, to embrace freedom.
The Founders of the USA knew that freedom wouldn't come easily. They knew they would have to fight for it, go to war for it, that some of them would give their lives for it.
But being free was essential to them; they knew they couldn't continue to live under the oppression of the British king any longer.
They had to make a change.
And today, perhaps there is some area of your life in which you need freedom.
The good news is, science is on your side. Below are several possible declarations you could make today. Each one has a link to something helpful. I hope you find them useful.
Depressed? Take control of your thoughts. You have the freedom and the neurochemical power to speak into your own mind and make it better. Sometimes you need medical help, but the research is overwhelming that the biggest secret to feeling better is to decide you want to, and start behaving as if you already do. Emotion follows motion, and no matter how bad things seem to you, I promise that if you start moving toward the place you dream of being, soon after you'll notice that you're feeling better.
Struggling financially? Today, declare that you will begin paying yourself first. No matter how impossible it seems, saving ten percent of what you earn is not only doable, but it's necessary if you're ever going to be financially free. You deserve to keep some of the money you work so hard for. The science of finance declares that living on ninety percent or less of your income is the clear path to security and freedom from financial worry.
Remember that the Founders pledged their lives AND their fortunes? Imagine how the country would have fared if those early freedom-seekers had been financially irresponsible in their earlier years. They would have had no fortunes with which to help fund the fight for freedom.
Having savings and investments creates the power to choose a different path. And that leads to freedom.
Trapped in a body that isn't shaped the way you want or doesn't weigh what you want it to? Biochemistry promises you can change that too. But you have to make a declaration. Today, choose to move more than you sit, to consume less than you burn, to take one less sip or pill or bag of whatever it is that's enslaving you and keeping you stuck in a place you're not supposed to be. To be free, you have to decide, act, and press on even when it's hard.
Whatever it is that's enslaving you, keeping you from being free, you can declare your independence from it today.
Remember, though, that the declaration isn't the end of the matter.
When the founders put pen to paper and declared themselves free, they still had a lot of work to do.
Battles to fight. A war to win.
And even after it was all over, it wasn't over, because the English weren't ready to quit. In the War of 1812, the British actually captured and burned Washington, DC; freedom isn't final unless you're willing to keep fighting for it.
So today, amidst the fireworks and the hot dogs and the parades, take a moment to think about the things from which you might need independence. Make your declaration, and commit your life and your honor to making it real.
Make July 4 your personal Independence Day. If you want to become healthier, feel better, and be happier, pull out your pen and sign your name to the declaration.
The Founders reached a point where they were no longer willing to live with the way things were. Freedom was worth everything to them.
Is it worth everything to you?
July 4, 1776 was Independence Day for them.
They started that day.
And so can you.
Make a decision to be free, my friend.
And start today.
You can now pre-order my new book, Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Things! Coming July 18 everywhere books are sold.
Hey- you can get up to six months of free access to all my paid-subscriber-only content on Substack by referring friends to sign up for my free weekly Self-Brain Surgery letter! Click the button below for more information.
Free to Take Hope