We’re often told to “stay true to yourself.” But honestly, what does that really mean? And how do we even begin to figure it out? Here’s the perfect example.
We just celebrated the 4th of July—Independence Day. The day, back in 1776, when 13 American colonies declared independence from British rule. A moment that marked the birth of a new identity—freedom, self-governance, liberty, equality. Big words. Big ideals.
But what did freedom mean to Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence? And what does freedom mean to you today?
Are we still celebrating the same values or just going through the motions? Whose values are we celebrating, and are they still ours? Because values shift over time. They grow, evolve, transform and we don’t even notice when that happens.
Perfect example and perfect time to ask: What do you value most today? Is it the same as yesterday? Has your personal “Declaration of Independence” changed?
Maybe it used to be freedom, adventure, or the drive to get your message out and make a difference. Maybe now it’s love, comfort, stability or simply peace. It doesn’t matter.
But when we’re not clear on what we value most—or when our values are changing without noticing—we become conflicted within ourselves. That’s when pain shows up. Not always loud, it can be quietly still painfully pulling us in opposite directions.
So here’s the perfect time to take a moment and ask: What do I value most right now? And am I living in alignment with that? Because pain often starts when we stop asking these questions. When we lose clarity.
If you’re really up for this exercise, just a word of caution: Leave money out of it—it’s just a means to an end. The rich aren’t immune to pain.
Then ask yourself: What do I do when pain takes over? Well… that’s a post for another day.
What do you value the most? 🙂
Freedom. Of choice. Of speech. Of expression… Thanks for reading 🙂