This day means a lot to me for the same reason it means a lot to all Americans as we reflect and celebrate our freedom and everything that gives us but I also celebrate my emotional freedom today. I am proud that I have the freedom to feel however I want to feel and I have learned to do what it takes to be happy and free from emotional drains and burdens. You know the emotional drains and burdens I’m talking about; the people and situations that bring you to your knees and make you miserable. The chains that keep you down are sometimes so heavy they feel impossible to break. This is emotional burden and the people or situations are emotional drains. I started celebrating my own emotional freedom six years ago, when I broke up with someone who had me under his thumb and shackled emotionally. I left him on the 4th of July, a day to celebrate freedom and oh boy, did I feel free!! The weight that was lifted off of my shoulders was so freeing that the tears I was crying was tears of joy and wonder of why I didn’t do it earlier. Yes, there was a lot to figure out in the break up because we lived together with our children but I was free so no matter how hard the next few weeks would be of talking and negotiating and begging, I knew the freedom and happiness waiting for me on the other side of that was well worth it. It actually wasn’t the first time I had freed myself from an emotional burden but it was the first time I realized that I was emotionally free and I swore to myself I would never put myself through it again. Whether it was a significant other or a family member, I was determined that I would never let someone or something keep me from being happy every again. It’s really hard to dump the emotional drains and burdens from your life, the chains are heavy, but if you can get a taste of what it feels like to be free from that you will know it’s worth it. Remember that it is up to us to create a happy environment so when someone is coming at you with chains, fight for your freedom,.. your emotional freedom. Happy 4th of July!! Maybe this will be the beginning of your own revolution… xoxo