The Audacity to Be Free

Hello my FABULOUS Ladies! Happy July and happy Independence Day week! It is great to be back!

First, I want to acknowledge that not everyone celebrates the 4th of July. I’m not here to judge if you choose to celebrate or not celebrate this holiday. I know that some people feel that with everything going on in this country, they don’t feel that there is a reason to celebrate. 

To be honest, Independence Day is not a holiday that I prioritize but its meaning and symbolism is something that I appreciate and it’s even more important than ever to remind ourselves and this country the importance to voice and advocate for the injustices that are going on in this country. 

It’s been two weeks since I posted my last blog and honestly, it feels longer than two weeks. Since I last posted, I went on my family cabin trip (we had to choose the hottest weekend of the year thus far), luckily this year, instead of tent camping and dealing with mother nature (last year our tents flew away during a storm), we actually had air conditioned cabins! However, it was still hotter than heck and it was hard to actually enjoy the experience since it was in the mid 90s! 

After dealing with that weekend, I had auntie duty by hosting my two nieces last week right after the cabin trip. As much as I enjoyed them, I’m not going to lie, it’s nice to have my peace, time, and space back again! 

Most of last week, my nieces would exclaim to me, “Auntie! How do you live like this?!” I didn’t understand and I would ask that they clarify. They would reply, “It’s so boring! Don’t you get bored? Your life is so quiet, simple and BORING!” 

I calmly explain to them that I choose to live a free, simple, “boring,” quiet life, because I value my peace, boundaries, and my energy.  I explained that instead of choosing to live in a bigger place (I live in an apartment), be beholden to expensive, useless, items, I choose to have what I need, and I like the freedom to not be burdened by unnecessary things. 

My nieces' questions and curiosities made me realize that they’re not used to a woman who chooses to live like me. Besides myself,  everyone they know all live a very conventional life that is the norm and fits the status quo that makes everyone comfortable. 

That’s the word, COMFORTABLE. As women, we’ve been told all of our lives that it is our responsibility to make everyone else comfortable. We had to shrink ourselves to make others comfortable with our presence, we had to tone our voices in order to make others comfortable with our words, we had to change who we were to be liked so others would be comfortable in taking advantage of us. 

Ladies, quite frankly, I am DONE  with being comfortable and I am going to live my life with AUDACITY, even if it means making other people uncomfortable. Their uncomfortableness is NOT my issue and that’s their responsibility to figure out why my life choices triggers them. 

In accordance with independence, freedom, and choices,  this week’s blog is  all about living with audacity and freedom. It’s not just about  breaking the rules—I’m  talking about breaking free!

There comes a moment in every woman’s life when she realizes: I want more. And not just more… I want ME! To live a free life as a woman—especially in a world that profits from our silence, self-doubt,  self-sacrifice, and conformity, it is still radical when a woman chooses to live her life the way she wants without pleasing and permission. 

But what does it really mean to be a FREE woman? It goes beyond quitting your job, selling everything, or running away to a tropical island (though you could).

It means something deeper and more lasting:

• Making choices rooted in truth—not fear or expectation
  
  
• Trusting your voice—even when it shakes with  power
  
  
• Releasing the need to be perfect, liked, understood, and comfortable.
  
  
• Saying no without apology, and yes without the guilt!
  
  

Ladies, a free woman doesn’t wait for approval. She gives herself permission to live fully, boldly, and in alignment! Are you ready to live your life as a free woman? Below are FREE tips to embrace and embody your freedom: 

• Reclaim Your Identity: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be? Remember your hopes and dreams as a child before society and everyone else’s judgements mold you into what they wanted you to be?  Freedom starts with peeling off the labels, roles, and projections. Remember, you are not just someone’s employee, partner, parent, or caretaker—you are a whole person with her own desires and dreams. 

• 
   Say the Hard Truths: To embody freedom, you have to be real with yourself and this starts when you stop sugarcoating, stop shrinking, and stop performing. You start to speak up for what you want, what you need, and what no longer serves you and of course, it’s all about your BOUNDARIES! You know I can’t write a blog without having that B word!  Your truth is your liberation.

• Redefine Success on Your Own Terms: The term success is broad and can have different meanings for everyone. For some, freedom is entrepreneurship. For others, it’s a 9–5 with boundaries; for you, it might be slow mornings, creative expression, brunch on a weekday with your girls, or going to Costco on a Wednesday mid-morning, and living with financial independence. Whatever it is—make sure it feels like you.

•  Stop Seeking Permission: When you have audacity, you don’t ask for permission.  You’re not here to be palatable, polite, perfect or to please.
  You’re here to be free. That means not waiting for anyone to crown you worthy—you already are! You stopped seeking validation from others and know that you already have the light within you. You’re not dimmed anymore and your light is ready to burst like the sun!

As I stated earlier, I understand that not everyone chooses to celebrate Independence Day and I respect that. But I also want to remind all of you that we, as women, are fighting for ourselves and other women to ensure that they continue to have their choices and the right and freedom to choose whatever they feel is best for them. 

Darlings, to be a free woman is to live in full ownership of your body, your voice, your story, and your choices.  Living free is  not loud, reckless, or rebellious unless it needs to be; instead it’s intentional, sacred, and unapologetically yours.

To create the life you want and live in your truth, at the beginning, finding that freedom won’t be easy. Hell, as a matter of fact, it will be one of the hardest and loneliest paths that you will ever embark on, but once you find your alignment and peace, you protect that freedom because it was all worth it. 

As a final ado in this week’s blog,  if you feel that you are not living a free life and are constrained, ask yourself:

 Where am I still shrinking to fit?
And where am I ready to expand into the woman I was always meant to be?

To all my QUEENS, You don’t need a new life to be free.  You just need the audacity to live yours—on your terms and live it UNAPOLOGETICALLY!  So, BREAK FREE and GO LIVE YOUR LIFE! 🦋