Independence!

Today is Canada Day. A holiday. Yet I’m working. Why? One simple reason. I WANT to.

My partner and I have recently bought a small cottage (after all those years of kayak camping, it is indeed a treat to plug in a kettle and flush a toilet. Ah, the joys of plastic and porcelain!) Anyway, I’ve taken off a lot of time as we’ve settled in and today I wanted to work. So I am. And it’s feeling good. To me, that’s what being self-employed is all about. Being able to decide what to do when. It’s one of the advantages of being independent!

Because it’s Canada Day today and the US holiday on July 4th, I want to celebrate independence.  Being independent means that we are the ones in charge of our lives and that’s an awesome thing–it’s a privilege not everyone has! Yet if you’re like me, you sometimes give your power to be independent away.  Debbie Ford, a new age teacher, has written what she calls a “Vow of Emotional Independence” that I think you’ll enjoy.

Here it is:

The Vow of Emotional Independence

I, ______ ________, am committed to living free of the strangulating grip of fear, shame, doubt, worry, anger, and sadness.

I promise to give my power to the force greater than myself rather than some food, substance, bad habit, or disempowering craving.

I will stand for my highest expression rather than allowing others’ judgments to define who I am.

I will always make sure to please and take care of myself instead of succumbing to any people-pleasing habits.

I will listen to the voice of my soul rather than listening to the voice of my critical internal judge.

I will find joy in each and every day of my existence rather than get caught up in the insanity of my world.

I will take care of my planet and let my voice be heard instead of waiting for someone else to do it for me.

I choose to make choices that leave me feeling inspired by myself and will graciously let go of my self-defeating behaviors.

I take this vow NOW as a positive stand for my soul’s highest expression and set myself free.

I ask the powers that be to support me in living this vow each and every moment of each and every day.

I surrender my will for the higher will and trust I will be guided from my darkest thought to my greatest dream, from my head to my heart.

Today, I commit to living in full accordance with this vow.

And so it is.

___________________

I just said this ‘vow’ out loud. It gave me