17. It's Independence Day: Time to Make Some Personal Declarations

Happy 4th of July! It's my favorite summer holiday. I hope you have a full-filled day on tap to celebrate all things red, white and blue.

In honor of Independence Day, today's bonus episode is all about declaring your own personal independence from other people's expectations of you, roles that you've outgrown and more.

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Transcript

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It is independence day, the 4th of July. And today we are talking about declaring independence. In a slightly different way. Before you head out to the parades and the firework displays and the parties and the pool. Make sure you take a listen to today's episode about declaring independence in your own life. Let's get started. welcome to the School of Midlife podcast. I'm Laurie Reynoldson, former award-winning attorney turned high performance coach for midlife women. I designed this podcast is your go-to place for weekly midlife inspiration, where I'll be sharing, inspiring stories, providing step-by-step actionable coaching and introducing you to some incredible women who are absolutely crushing it at the midlife game. And you'd better believe we'll also be having candid conversations about mid-life relationships, career moves, money, menopause, and so much more. So take out your reading glasses and notebooks. My friends, because the School of Midlife is in session. Well, Hey there, welcome back to the school of midlife podcast. This episode is dropping on the 4th of July. So because it's a holiday and you are probably doing all things holiday to celebrate, and it's also a holiday for me. Uh, this is just going to be a quick little bonus episode today, and we will be back with the normal. Podcasts program next week. But I'm just thinking about independence day. Um, like I said, the episodes dropping on the 4th of July. The independence day. As I know everyone realizes commemorates the signing of the declaration of independence on July 4th, 1776. That's when the 13 original colonies. Declared that they were no longer subject to British rule. so if we go back to what was happening king George, the third was. The Monarch of great Britain. There were these 13 original colonies that were saying, you know what, we're no longer going to be under your thumb. We are going to have our own government and we're going to pay our own bills. And we are done with the taxation that. You are lording over us. And I do. If you've, if you have watched Hamilton. Whether you have seen it in a live theater attrical production, or if you watch the movie. I do think the song you'll be back where king George, the third is singing to. Hamilton and the revolutionaries. Um, It's it's kind of the greatest breakup song of all time. Right? I mean. Yeah, you're going to break up with me now, but you you'll be back. Uh, anyway. It's interesting because the declaration of independence and it's, you know, often quoted. The beginning of it, which is we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I am acutely aware that there are some recent Supreme court decisions that came down. Last week. I mean, They always the Supremes always wait until the last day of their term, their court term, to really, it feels like drop some big bombs and. The last couple of years have been no. Exception to that rule. I mean, last year we were, we were dealing with the fall of Roe vs. Wade. And regardless of where you sit on these decisions that have been coming down or the political division in this country, I know that. Some of us may not feel like we're living in a country that truly believes that all men and women. Are created equal. That, that we all have the same unalienable rights, like life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I don't want to go too far down this political rabbit hole. That's not what today's episode is about and it's a holiday, so we should all be. Celebrating and excited. But I do think It's important to also amidst the celebrations and the parades and all the things to. Take a step back and really think about where we are as a country, so that while we are celebrating this. Beautiful. Country of ours. And how it was formed. It would be shortsighted to not. Acknowledge. That maybe we aren't where we need to be, as it pertains to. Treating everyone equally. And honoring their. Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But again, I don't want to get too far down the rabbit hole on the political side here. I love independence day. I will say it is my favorite summer holiday. I love the parades. I love the fireworks and the parties and the bunting. I love, love, love the bunting. Incidentally. It looks a little like we have had a bunting explosion at our house. When we, before we moved. We had An acre of land just outside of town. Which meant we had a lot of fence posts and, and fencing that could be. Decorated with bunting for the 4th of July. Because we have so much bunting. Mike. Has taken to the last several years. Putting all of it up on the townhouse that we now live in. So we have, I mean, the amount of bunting we have at our house, which wraps the house and the courtyard and the garage. It looks like the whistle stop cafe. Has been planted in this small little part of east Boise. And, um, you should be able to come in and get a beautiful piece of cherry pie. It's it's, it's a little ridiculous than we. We've we've had a bit of a bunting overload here, but. Uh, You know, I'd love the, the barbecues and the popsicles. And I talked about the pie and the ice cream and all things, red, white, and blue. Even though we started the. Podcast today with talking about some. Issues that might be going on in the country. Make no mistake. I love the United States. I love the principles. Our country was founded on. Even if it feels like sometimes we're not always operating in accordance with those principles. But. I definitely think independence day is something that should be celebrated and not just because we get a day off of work. But with, with a lot of these holidays. I think it's important to think about what, what we're actually celebrating. Why is this an important day for us? So when we think about celebrating the independence holiday this year, I want to challenge you to put a slightly different spin on it. And here's what I mean by that. I think It would be a good exercise to take some time between the parties and the parades and the fireworks too. Reflect. Reset and recommit to yourself. To figure out how you want to spend the last half of the year. Too. No, who the person is that you want to become and the things you want to accomplish in the next six months. I know we talked a lot about this in last week's episode. It's definitely worth a listen. If you didn't get a chance to tune in last week. I would highly recommend that you go back and pick up last week's episode. I know I heard from so many of you that. The mid-year review that we discussed. Was an incredible exercise for you. So, um, thanks for those of you who sent me a quick email and let me know that you. Found an hour in your week to. Do a mid-year review and that it was the. Somebody said. To call it a worthwhile exercise is. Discounting how important it was. So that's high praise. Thanks so much for writing in and letting me know that it was a helpful exercise for you. Those of you who haven't listened. Go back and take a listen. But, but back to independence day, this year, I want to challenge you to put a personal spin on it. Because I think. That. Independence day. the perfect opportunity to declare your independence from From roles that you've. Grown out of. Relationships that are no longer serving you. Jobs that are sucking the life out of you. A habit of over-scheduling yourself for the convenience of others. Sacrificing your health and wellbeing to meet someone else's expectations. I mean, the list could go on and on, right. There are so many things that we do. That are related to roles that we have played in the lives of others. And so often we feel like our. Identity is intrinsically tied to who we are in the roles of others and the value that they put on us given the roles that we play in their life. So. Maybe it's time. To declare independence from those roles. Because. They're not, they they're not serving you anymore. They. They are compromising you. And your wellbeing. Physical and mental. They're not, they're no longer serving you. So. It's time to. Declare independence from those roles. Today's also a good day to state your independence. And recommit to the healthy boundaries that you've set. That could. Sound like saying no without feeling guilty. It could look like honoring your intuition and trusting your gut. Even when, what you're doing, doesn't make sense to others around you. It's. Sticking to your guns. It's trusting yourself. It's sticking up for yourself. Maybe it looks like declaring your independence from other people's expectations of you. What could that look like? Think about what that could feel like. how would your life be different if you stopped worrying about what other think. Have you. And what you're supposed to do. And how you're supposed to think. How could your life be different if you quit living by someone else's terms? Or someone else's definition of success. I know we talk a lot about that on this podcast. That really one of the secrets to having that happy and fulfilling life that you're looking for. Is. Throwing off the. Expectations that other people have of us, that society has of us that. Keep us. Trying to attain. Society's definition of success. What, if we no longer allowed others to control the choices we make day in and day out that we figure it out. What success looks like to us, that we finally understand what it is we want. And. We declare our independence from anything that doesn't look like. What success means to us. Or how we want to live our life. And by declaring independence. We can use that new found independence to step into roles in our life. That light us up that fill us up that make us feel fulfilled. And in doing so then we can jettison. The people and the things and the roles that have weighed us down for so long. Or slowed our progress on the way to living our most authentic self. We get one shot at this life today. It's independence day it's as good a time as any. To give yourself permission to start living your life for you. On your own terms in your own way. Without apology. Without hesitation. And you might as well start that today. Because after all. It's independence day. I hope you have a wonderful holiday. I'll see you back here next week when the school of mid-life is back in session. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the School of Midlife podcast. I'd love it if you would take a moment and leave me a five star review so that we can spread the word to other mid-life women. Then join my mailing list. The link is in the show notes. And if you're ready to make midlife your best life, you can also find out more about how to work with me in the show notes. I'll see you right back here next week when the School of Midlife is back in session.