Women should all strive for healthy independence in our lives because it gives us many other freedoms that collectively can create a successful, fulfilling life.

Here are four of those freedoms and how they can affect your life:

1. External Influences - Becoming free from external influences allows you to make your own decisions and happily own the outcomes. When you have healthy self-esteem, you will rely on yourself for decisions and choices. You will not look externally for validation, and you will not constantly second-guess yourself. You will have an intelligent basis for your preferences, and you will not bend to culture, society, religion, or background. You will be able to think for yourself in all situations.
2. Internal Reactions - You are not emotionally reactive when free from internal reactions. You have reasoned reactions to situations rather than knee-jerk emotional reactions. You think about things. You weigh options, benefits, and drawbacks. You educate...

I have many things to be thankful for in my life. I count my blessings.

I think that my life is wonderful. I am grateful for all the positive things that are happening in the here and now. My present life only continues to get better. I make an effort each day to list the things for which I am grateful.

My future looks even brighter. I awaken every morning with enthusiasm and anticipation for whatever the new day may bring. The positive steps I have already taken almost guarantee that the most amazing parts of my life are yet to come.

I visualize my future for a few minutes each day. I focus on that image to produce the most compelling future possible. My confidence soars, and I know that my dreams are coming to fruition.

I know in my heart that the forecast for my future is bright and sunny.

My emotions and my life are connected. One feeds the other. I choose to see the good things in my life and be happy about them.

With such a fulfilling...

Your ego considers independence very important. And your ego has a precise definition of independence - doing things your way without help from anyone else and liking it. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you consider it, the way ego wants things done is rarely how things happen in real life.

But that does not prevent the ego from rearing its ugly head and causing many problems.

When you meet someone who sparks your desire and heart, your ego feels incredibly threatened. After all, this would not feel so good if you were complete and whole on your own, right? So, ego puts up a fight when things are going great and lies to you about why you are feeling so happy.

Maybe it shows you that you are weak if you depend on someone this much. Or it means that if you were truly independent, you would not need the company of another. You might begin believing that you are codependent when really, you are just in love!

The ego has many tricks up its...

It may sound strange, but people who have lived with abuse for many years may not even realize that they are being abused.

If you have grown up in a family where abuse occurs almost every day, you may think that hitting, pushing, or constant yelling are normal ways to treat the members of your family and other people.

Every family has arguments, but when yelling goes too far or lasts too long or when disagreements turn physical, that is abuse, and abuse is not normal or healthy.

National Crime Victims' Rights Week is April 18-24, 2021

If you have been hurt—physically, sexually, emotionally, or due to neglect—you are a victim of abuse.

 

Abuse and neglect can affect the way you view yourself and the rest of the world.

You might—

Feel afraid, anxious, angry, confused, or sad.
Fear being hurt again.
Have trouble sleeping, eating, and concentrating.
Skip school or not do well in school.
Have lots of headaches or stomachaches.
Use drugs or alcohol.
...

Nature energizes my spirit and my life. I enjoy my connection to nature. The outdoors helps me regain my focus.

I can disconnect from my busy lifestyle so that I can reconnect with nature. 

Modern society challenges my relationship with nature. I put aside my technology to focus on the incredible, natural splendor all around me. I take time to walk outdoors to be grateful for the majesty of the animals and plants.

I pay attention to the rhythm of nature during my outings. I listen to the sounds that envelop me. I observe the connections between plants and animals. All of these beautiful elements raise my spirit.

My spirit feels vibrant while I delve into nature.

I easily re-establish my relationship with nature, even when I have been away from it for a time. I try not to stay away too long because nature is essential to my soul. It makes me healthy, serene, and strong.

Nature unlocks a channel in my heart that embraces love. It helps...

Independence is a skill that not every woman possesses at birth. Of course, everyone has to become somewhat independent as they grow up towards adulthood, but it is far easier for some to accept their independence than others. Evading independence as an adult creates problems in many different areas of your life, especially as you enter into professional and personal interactions.

Learn to:

• be your own strongest supporter – vital to success in any area of life.

It can be challenging for some women to realize they are responsible for any life occurrences—choices made shape your life. Your decisions develop your direction. Being practical about this is beneficial and necessary. When you know you can rely on and take total care of yourself, you can accomplish anything.

• stand on our own two feet – although trust is not always detrimental.

It is healthy to be able to trust and rely on others. What you should not do is leave your potential...

As long as I allow myself to see the beauty surrounding me, my life is enhanced a hundred-fold. Therefore I strive to release any negative thoughts and feelings that can blind me from this beauty.

Beauty abounds in my loved ones and my relationships with them. Each one has its unique beauty, unlike anyone else. I see this beauty in their smile, feel it in their caress, and hear it in their song of life.

They share their beauty in their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. I listen and am lifted as I encourage them. When I feel down, they let their beauty shine through to bring me back up again.

I find beauty in everyday things - a wildflower lifting its bloom through the rocky soil, the puppy that greets me with glee, the crystals of the morning dew, and the soft comfort of my bed at the end day.

Even humdrum routines bring the beauty of their own. When I get something done at work, it is a beautiful thing! When I make a tasty dinner, that is beautiful also,...

One of the most empowering things women do for our children is to teach them to be independent and to be able to make decisions and take actions on their own. This independence will raise their self-esteem and enable them to handle any situation confidently.

Here are eight effective and fun ways to help your child become more independent.

1. Enlist your child’s help. Tell them that you have observed that there are things they can do on their own that you have been doing for them. Then ask for their support in allowing you to let them carry out those activities. This makes it seem like they are helping you change, not the other way around. It also fosters cooperation.
2. Look for occasions to create more independence. Make a list of things you believe your child could do independently. Then have the child select which ones they feel they would like to do. This empowers them to make decisions independently and try to do more things without your help.
3. Do not try to hand...

How I deal with the world each day largely determines the kind of day I have and the quality of connections I experience. So I make a conscious decision daily to be cheerful. I strive to spread joy.

Because I prefer that people positively affect me, I want to do the same for everyone I come into contact with too. This means managing my mood and ensuring that I stay positive.

However, to have something to share with others, my cup must be full. So I also tend to my joy by engaging in interests that satisfy me. This helps uplift my mood and empowers my approach to life to be filled with joy and passion.

I do my best to both uplift others and be uplifted by individuals I meet. Life is more pleasant when I am in the company of happy people. To boost the spirits of others, I am joyful and spread happiness and positivity among those around me as much as I can.

Today, I promise to put all my effort into releasing joy everywhere I go. I stay on top of my moods so...

You cannot talk about independence in life without mentioning financial freedom. Becoming an adult comes with many responsibilities, not the least of which is making your own money and learning to provide for yourself appropriately.

Learning how to budget your money is also essential. As you enter adulthood, learning to budget and pay your bills every month on time will allow you to build strong credit.

And just about every major purchase you will make will look to your credit score and credit report as representative of how consistently you pay your bills and utilize your available credit.

Here are five ways to grow your financial independence:

1. Learn to live within your means. What this means is, do not spend all the money you make. When you bring home your paycheck, you will have bills that you must pay first to make sure you are on time. After that, you can decide what to do with the rest.
2. Learn to create a realistic budget and stick to it. By utilizing a...