Today in America, we are celebrating the life of a man who in part stood for freedom, self-expression, personal rights, passion, and advocacy.

While many salute the man and his message, many do not fully claim their rights in how they live their daily lives.

If you do not have optimal wellness, you do not have freedom. How can you pursue and live the life of your dreams if you don’t feel physically well?

Most women unknowingly give away their personal power when it comes to their wellness and bodies.

• You look to others to tell you how to eat, and may even force yourself to eat foods you hate to try to lose weight.
• You look to others to tell you how to move your body, and ignore the signals and messages your body is giving you.
• You look to the scale to give you self-esteem.
• You negatively compare yourself to fashion models, and ignore your own beauty.
• You buy-into the belief that aging is the root cause of your lack of wellness, and ignore the years and years you have not engaged your power to eat healthy foods and move your body.
• You allow a few past criticisms to become a chorus of potential judgments that rob you of the joy of frolicking in a swimsuit, or wearing the clothes you want to wear, or fully expressing your feminine power.
• You have forgotten that optimal wellness is your birthright.

Loving your body and creating optimal wellness is not something that anyone else can give you. You must be the advocate for your wellness and well-being. You must take a stand for your right to be healthy. You must champion your freedom to be fully you.

So today, I’m reminding you of some basic freedoms. You have the freedom to:

• Create optimal wellness.
• Engage in the independent thought necessary to create the body you want.
• Choose the foods that you eat and in what quantity.
• Move your body in ways that feel good to you.
• Take responsibility for the decisions you are making.
• Claim dominion over your body and mind.
• Love and appreciate your body.

Health brings freedom. Feeling well helps you connect more with joy, do more of what you love, and create the body—and life—you want.

Isn’t it time you take a stand for your God-given right to be healthy?

Together we can do it!