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Personal Journaling Your Own Way to Personal Freedom

Some additional information in one line
Mari L. McCarthy June 21, 2011

 Personal Journaling article on Journal Writing Blog

The 4th of July, Independence Day for Americans, is quickly approaching. For many people, the holiday conjures up images of fireworks, parades, barbecues and a day off from work or school, but it also offers an opportunity to explore the deeper concepts of liberty, equality and choice through personal journaling.

Think back to all those history classes you took in elementary and high school. What do you remember about the American Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence? Even if those memories are a little hazy, you probably recall this famous quote from the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Let’s start there: “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” What does it mean in your own life?

A 4th of July Personal Journaling Prompt

1. Start by writing the quote (or part of it) at the top of a blank page in your personal journal. Think about how you see each of the key words in the quote: truth, equal, rights, life, liberty, happiness. Write your own personal definition for each word.

2. In society as a whole, how do you think we are doing with upholding the beliefs of the Declaration of Independence? In what ways are we working for freedom and equality? In what ways are we falling short? Tell your journal.

3Now turn your focus back to your own life. How do these concepts play a role in your day-to-day life—in work, family, relationships? In what aspects do you feel most free and liberated to make your own decisions? Are there parts of your life where you feel as if you don’t have personal choice? Do you feel that pursuing happiness is a priority for you? Why or why not?

4. Close this personal journaling exercise by writing your own statement, along the same lines as the quote from the Declaration of Independence. What truths do you hold to be self-evident? What principles define how you want to live your life?

Happy Independence Day! Please share your personalized “independence” statements in the comments section.  

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