If you take a deeper look at The Declaration of Independence you will find a template for expressing freedom in your life, whether it's freedom in your physical world -- like finances or health, freedom of mind, or emotional freedom.
The first element is RECOGNITION. Basically, It's recognizing yourself. It's the recognition of an unchanging, universal Truth about who you really are.
Our Founding Fathers recognized a Universal Truth when they wrote:
"... all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights."
When you recognize yourself as a child of the Universe, intended to live freely in body, mind and spirit, this Truth wells up from deep within you and expresses through your thoughts, words and actions.
With RECOGNITION comes the second Element of Expressing True Freedom and that is REALIZATION.
REALIZATION is when the recognition of yourself as a spiritual being comes face to face with the "REAL" world.
In recognizing the Truth about yourself, you become more sensitive to relationships and environments that are counter to who or what you know yourself to be, and you might begin to realize there are aspects of your life that are not in alignment with that Truth.
Our Founding Fathers recognized the truth about themselves and this led them to the realization that life was not in alignment with that truth. They realized there were some problems -- what they called, "A History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations by the present King of Great Britain."
And, just like them -- when you begin to realize a part of your life is out of sync -- what do you do?
You find a SOLUTION, the third Element for Expressing True Freedom.
In the Declaration of Independence we see how our Founding Fathers found a solution. They wrote:
"Let facts be submitted to a candid world."
And then they listed at least 27 complaints.
Don't misunderstand -- the solution was not to complain! The complaints were the realizations that lead them to their solution.
They had petitioned the King several times, all of which had been "answered only by repeated Injury." This led them to sever ties with Great Britain and to publish and declare "that these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES."
It's like realizing you have a pebble in your shoe. That can be a complaint OR it can be a realization that leads to a solution. If you go around telling everyone you have a pebble in your shoe -- that's a complaint. But it you realize you have a pebble in your shoe and then take the pebble out of your shoe -- that realization led you to a solution.
Complaining is a negative draining of energy BUT it can be channeled into a useful, solution-oriented energy that can move you into a more productive and fulfilling experience.
That brings us to the fourth Element of Expressing True Freedom and that is COMMITMENT.
It takes commitment to break free from whatever is unlike freedom in your life. It takes commitment to freely live out the truth of your being.
Our Founding Fathers made a commitment to making freedom a reality in our country. They wrote:
"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
They were all in. You could say they were willing to put their money where their mouths were. They were willing to give everything they had because they realized that they were not the content of their lives.
Neither are you the content of your life. That's not who you are. There is so much more to you. There is a creative force that rises up from you and wants to live life freely.
So -- are you willing to commit to living freely?
It begins by recognizing yourself. It means realizing that those things that are out of sync with that Truth are showing you the contrast and are a call to remember your God-given promise of Freedom. Listen to that call and you will find a solution. And then be willing to commit to making freedom a reality in your heart, mind and body.