Matt's Audio Letter of the Week

All right.

Hey everyone, welcome to this edition of the Feel Better Letter, or the FBL.

This is Matt.

Today, I want to keep this message nice and short.

First, I want to wish everyone a very happy Fourth of July and Independence Day to all who celebrate. And if you live in another country or don't celebrate it, I hope you have an amazing weekend.

This year in the United States, we're celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence—the beginning of establishing the nation as an independent country.

Every Fourth of July, I'm reminded of the incredible courage it took for those people to make that decision.

When you think about what was actually happening, you had a group of people living under the rule of the British Empire who ultimately decided they were no longer willing to live under that authority.

In the eyes of the British, that was an act of treason.

War followed.

And had they lost, many of the people who signed that declaration would have been executed for high treason.

When you think about the courage that required, it's remarkable.

Freedom had to matter deeply to them.

And it reminds me of another kind of freedom.

Freedom from fear.

Because freedom always requires courage.

It's not something that's simply handed to you.

You have to fight for it.

You have to be willing to sacrifice for it.

You have to be willing to put what feels like everything on the line.

And I can't help but notice the parallel.

Fear isn't simply going to give you your freedom.

If you're going to declare your independence from fear—if you're going to decide that fear is no longer going to run your life—it takes courage.

It takes a firm decision.

When I think about the Declaration of Independence, I sometimes think of it as a kind of divorce letter.

It's a declaration that says,

"I'm no longer part of this relationship."

"I'm no longer under your rule."

Sometimes I actually have clients write a divorce letter to the fear mind.

A declaration that they are no longer willing to live under its control.

Maybe that's an exercise you might consider this weekend.

If you don't feel free from fear, take some time to reflect on what independence from fear would actually mean for your life.

What would change?

As someone who spent many years living in fear—and who has now spent many years on the other side of it—I can honestly say there's no amount of money someone could offer me to go back.

The difference is that significant.

When I work with people, my hope is always the same:

Freedom from fear.

Because fear promises safety.

Fear promises control.

Fear promises certainty.

But what it actually offers is a prison.

A prison of rumination, worry, compulsions, and the endless need to manage and control everything.

So if you're listening today, I hope you have an incredible celebration.

I hope you get to spend time with people you love.

I hope you enjoy some great food.

And if you're someone who enjoys fireworks like I do, I hope you do it safely.

But I also hope you'll take a few moments to reflect on your own freedom.

And if there are areas of your life where you don't feel free, ask yourself what it would look like to begin moving toward that freedom.

With that, wishing you all an amazing holiday and an incredible weekend.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.