Independence comes from a nice medieval French word, depenre, meaning “to hang from,” or “to hang down.” The in at the beginning is Latin for “not,” so the word originally meant “not hanging from,” which is a neat description of what countries achieve by throwing off their colonizers.

Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over the territory.

Independence is freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.

Independence or self-reliance is the virtue by which you are self-supporting in the sense that you consume nothing that you haven’t earned.

Nothing is ever free, though. By accepting the unearned, a man loses his grasp of what it means to earn something. He loses his assurance of his own self-efficacy. Every independent act is a reaffirmation of one’s ability to deal with reality. Every unearned gift is a blow to one’s confidence.  Addictions are rather like this in so many ways, wouldn’t you agree?  Addictions rob us of our self-efficacy all too quickly.  Once that begins to happen it becomes a “slippery slope” toward doom and destruction.  At this time of year it seems fitting to reflect back on America’s independence both for the cost as well as the reward.  Some things are absolutely worth fighting for…….

The main purpose of America’s Declaration of Independence was to explain to foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain. The Revolutionary War had already begun, and several major battles had already taken place. The American colonies had already cut most major ties to England, and had established their own congress, currency, army, and post office.

On June 7, 1776, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Richard Henry Lee voiced a resolution that the United States ought to be completely free of England’s influence,and that all political ties between the two countries should be dissolved. Congress agreed and began plans to publish a formal declaration of independence and appointed a committee of five members to draft the declaration.

Thomas Jefferson was chosen to draft the letter – which he did in a single day. Four other members, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were part of the committee to help Jefferson.

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson explained that a body of people has a right to change governments if that government becomes oppressive (unfair and controlling). He further explained that governments fail when they no longer have the consent of the governed. Since Parliament clearly lacked the consent of the American colonists to govern them, it was no longer legitimate. The Declaration was presented to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 2, 1776. It was approved with a few minor changes and completed on July 4, 1776. There were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Like American independence, is it time to move out of the oppression of addiction?  At what point does one recognize the “addiction” is no longer legitimate? Just as our ancestors fought for independence from England you each have the ability to fight for independence from your addiction.

“People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.” ― Emma Goldman