Independence Day Reflections
Cyndi Collen here, owner of Flourish, and I am a history buff. I love to reflect on national holidays to connect with their origins and I just re-read the Declaration of Independence yesterday for fun.
If you haven’t read it lately I’ll sum it up: it’s a very articulate, passionate and erudite break-up letter. The intellectuals involved with the Continental Congress debated and discussed how to deal with their powerlessness; ultimately, after being dismissed, neglected and abused (words in the Declaration), they opted for freedom through empowerment.
245 years later too many Americans feel powerless but struggle to find empowerment and that is taking a toll on our mental health and well-being. Whether you feel stressed and/or powerless to change your financial situation, mood and/or environment, we are triggering our survival wiring. The unconscious and cellular-level response to powerlessness sends signals to the nervous system that you are surrounded by something that negatively impacts you and you are all alone it and can’t change it. This stress response shifts our hormonal, energy and digestive patterns. Mindfulness and acceptance can help cope with powerlessness but does not get to the root cause so our systems often stay in a chronic stress response.
Empowerment is the key to counter powerlessness. If you can find a way to gain a sense of empowerment (i.e. having the power, right or authority to do something) you can let your nervous system that you are doing the best you can to change what is happening, even though it may not result in the change you want. Your nervous can get some relief from chronic stress when it knows you are taking some type of action to change your situation and this can result in improved mood, concentration and quality sleep.
245 years ago a bunch of bright and determined men came together and collectively gained authority to separate from Great Britain in what I like to call a ‘Dear John’ break up letter to King George III. Much blood was shed on many sides for years after this break up letter. Perhaps this week you could connect with feeling gratitude for those who persevered all those years ago to free us from tyranny?
Or just take a moment to be scan yourself and see if you feel any inkling of powerlessness; if you find it, please make some space for it and know you are not alone. Millions (perhaps even billions) of people feel this everyday and we, the team at Flourish, can help be in in with you. When we can collectively be with and address powerlessness, we can shift to empowerment and disengage (at least for a few moments) from a survival response.