What Is Your Personal Freedom Challenge? 

The Fourth of July is our nation’s annual celebration of freedom. I want to focus on a personal freedom we can control by our beliefs, choices, decisions and actions. 

When I was a teenager and in my 20’s I thought I could eat or drink anything I wanted to. I just put it in my mouth and expected my body to handle it. Well, I didn’t know that I had food allergies! Neither my doctor nor parents understood why I was sick so often. (Food allergies are hard to diagnose because the symptoms could also be from a variety of other causes.)

My quest to discover the cause of my ailments started me on a life long search. Foods and beverages can have vastly different effects on people’s health because we are all unique. 

Our digestive and eliminative processes can be influenced by exposure to environmental toxins, genetic weakness, nutritional deficiencies, sensitivity to foods, odors, strong emotions, etc.

When I was a teenager I remember going into a new store and having to leave immediately with a pounding headache. The chemical odors from the upholstery, fabrics, curtains, etc. had given me a migraine. 

I remember in my twenties I was in the same room with 2 people who were arguing and fighting. I had to run to the bathroom. I had loose bowels for 3 days! Emotions like fear, anger, panic and anxiety can interrupt the normal function of our digestive system. Strong emotions can also affect our mental focus, blood pressure, heart rate, memory etc. which in turn affect our health.

To have freedom from these consequences, I had to bring my beliefs about what I can eat into alignment with what my body can digest. I had to make wise choices about which foods I will eat. I had to make decisions about my long term goal, eat anything I wanted and suffer illness or avoid certain foods for optimum health. And I had to take the actions that promote my personal health and wellbeing for a healthy body, active mind and happy emotions. This is my personal freedom. I am grateful for my health!

Your freedom could be from debt, illness, stress, fear, insecurity, etc. Whatever it is, I invite you to look at what in your life makes you not feel free. And ponder on what you can change to give yourself that freedom! 

Happy Fourth of July!