Greetings!   

Greetings to YOU and Happy 4th of July to our strong community of high-achieving women who want to turn stress into strength at every opportunity.

I hope this Independence Day you enjoyed well deserved leisure time with friends and family, barbecue, spirited drinks and fireworks!

It's been one exciting Birthday Bash after another for me this month! In addition to celebrating America's 237^th, my son turns 17, Synergy Life and Wellness Coaching LLC turns 5, and the Synergy Success circle turns 4! I'm so grateful to have crossed paths with you in the process of building my business, and am both humbled and honored to experience the Freedom of doing what fulfills me every day.

We are blessed to live at a time and in a country where our choices are virtually limitless. And yet many women tell me that they feel trapped in circumstances where it seems their choices are very limited.

What about you? Do you feel free in your work and life?

If not, you may be unclear about what it takes to really be free, or curious about where true freedom comes from. My mentors teach that Courage + Self-Discipline = Freedom, and while I have found that to be true, in my personal experience it's been much more than that.

Here are 4 Steps that I take time and time again on my journey, that have a major impact on my own sense of personal freedom.

 

1. Decide --Everything that happens to us starts with a choice. With Freedom comes full responsibility to choose your words, thoughts, and responses wisely. This means staring down your fear, and having the courage to be vulnerable.  It also requires getting comfortable being uncomfortable. At the beginning of my venture I would think "what if I fail?" (To be honest it often felt like I was "butt-naked" out on a limb!) After all, my background was in nursing, not in business! Luckily, there was a strong enough pull toward following my heart that I decided it was worth doing even if I failed trying. 

2. Intend --Set a clear intention and define what having more freedom means to you. What does it look like? Perhaps for you it's being released from self-criticism, unwanted influences (like alcohol, food or drug addiction), work that doesn't fulfill you, financial struggle, fear of criticism, chronic pain, dysfunctional family dynamics, heartache, or the words "I can't"... Just imagine what it would be like to be free from whatever situation has you feeling stuck! Ask for guidance and lean on your faith, believing that what may seem impossible will be made possible.

3. Attend -- Prepare to put action behind your intention! "If you want to fly you must get rid of what weighs you down" (Rumi) Ar you willing to do the work necessary to take flight toward your dreams? First, grab your journal and write down everything that holds you back or ties you down. Your action steps will become clear. Armed with a plan, you can confidently schedule that tough conversation, get on the phone, gather information, ask for support from trusted friends and family, surround yourself with like-minded women, chop up that credit card, or sign up for the classes that your new path requires. Whatever you choose to do, giving your goal the attention it deserves helps pave your path to freedom.

4. Persist --Yes, this is where self-discipline comes in. (If you're anything like me, you just cringed a little. It still comes fully equipped with a paddle and feels a lot like punishment.) So look at discipline this way: Consistent small steps create amazing breakthroughs over time. It means staying committed to take actions based on your definition of freedom even when you don't feel like it. It's so easy to take action based on our emotional reaction in the moment, isn't it? Discipline means that we are creating our life instead of just reacting to it. Of course there are times you find it necessary to revise your route, but instead of giving up, you re-decide... refresh your intention,...and re-take inspired actions that are aligned with the success you deserve.

As you go about your Holiday weekend, I challenge you to think more about what Freedom and Independence means to you personally.

What does freedom look like to you? And what would nuggets of wisdom would you share with others about how to experience it?

I hope I'll get to see you at a Synergy Success Circle next week, or perhaps you can make it to our "Bling on Summer" party , Bloomfest, or "Re-thinking dyslexia"?

Until then,

I Double-Dog-Dare You to Be You...and Be Free !

 Christina Kunkle, CTA Certified Life and Wellness Coach, R.N.

 "Resilience Coach for High-Achieving Women who want to thrive 

by building a life, not just a career."