What is Independence exactly? The act of being free of outside control, self-government, separation, sovereignty, freedom and so much more, right?! To become independent we gain control of ourselves and our own actions. We become strength within ourselves and then are able to combine our independence with others and become an even stronger power.  It is when we are dependent on others that we are weak and allow ourselves to be taken advantage of and at times abused.  Becoming independent does not mean you are shutting out those around you, but are taking control of your own actions and choosing to not blame others for your choices when they do not go as planned.  With independence comes ultimate freedom from allowing the action of others to dictate the outcome of our own lives.  Things will happen in our lives that we are not able to control but with independence we are able to analyze those moments and determine how we are going to allow them to impact our future. It is within our control and when you are able to stop being the victim of other people’s mistakes and truly become self-aware and in control of your own destiny only then we can gain our true Independence and be Free.