To be forthcoming, I must admit that most of this information can already be found in my book 'Graduating Life with Honours' which is a free download if people want to read it.  However, to be clear, I decided to break it down into key components so that we can have a discussion about the implications of these pillars and how it might impact our lives and the relationships we have with one another.  This is an evolution of consciousness rather than a revolutionary act when we explore these pillars.

Pillar #1 - Get right with myself

I struggled with depression, suicide attempts, violent behaviours, passive / aggressive manipulations and other challenges while dealing with my own pain, fear and inadequate training on how to hold healthy relationships.  The passage that says we are to "love our neighbours as ourselves" means that we must first find a way to love our self first before we can start exploring healthy relationships with others.  It took a life crises for me to surrender my old ways and learn this new approach.  Over the span of a few years I found ways to love myself, process the pain, confront the fear, set boundaries and really come to terms with what it means to be here in this physical realm.  This pillar is the center pole to the whole structure of freedom, independence and sovereignty.

  

I've seen many people tackle their relationships only to struggle and experience more pain because they did not get right with themselves first.  Until we do this process, the world around us will continue to test us until we figure out these lessons.  This is critical as boundaries are the foundations of the pillars, which help us be vigilant in regards to how other people treat us but most importantly, boundaries help us to ensure we don't infringe our will on others.  This is where self-governance comes into play and is the foundation of the work that I do in my life.  

Pillar # 2 - Move from dependency into being independent

This pillar was a tough pill to swallow for me as I always thought that since I moved away from home and held down a job that I was independent.  But when I start exploring the boundaries, I had to examine whether I was providing for all my needs or just paying other people to do it for me.  I worked in IT for over 20 years, so I was able to generate a lot of cash which meant that I could place the burden of growing my own food, building my home, keeping it heated, watered and clean, onto somebody else.  But if I really love myself, there is no way I should place that burden on others as I see that as privilege.  Man is the only mammal on this planet that fails to teach its young all the skills they need to provide for themselves.  How many people can build a shelter, grow their own food or find clean air or drinking water by themselves?  We should all have that skill!  Should anything happen to the systems that we created to facilitate our needs being met, people literally do starve and die.  

So I chose to no longer burden the system or other people with the responsibility of providing for my needs.  I chose to no longer be dependent on that system and instead provide for my own needs.  That required I return to the land and build a new, healthy relationship with Mother Earth.  This relationship has been violent in the past with my participation in the system to provide these needs.  So I needed to find a way to reconcile this relationship too, just as I have done with my relationship with my wife a few years earlier.  

I found that this relationship is a life long journey as there is a lot to learn and the more I learn the less I know.  My indigenous brothers and sisters are really helping me out in this area as I found their way of life and that of my own ancestors has a lot to contribute towards healing my relationship with Mother Earth.

Pillar #3 - Declare Peace

In my view, peace is a foundational pillar to freedom, independence and sovereignty as well.  For most of my life I was at war against myself and others.  I found this realization to be true based on the covert violence that I engaged in within all my relationships.  Forcing my will against others, even through passive means, is not a way to hold healthy relationships.  To make a life long commitment to peace is tough and requires a through examination of ALL my relationships to ensure that my actions or inaction does not result in harm or violence to another individual.  That also included my relationships with fictional constructs like the state, corporations and other man made entities we use to help us facilitate our complex, socially acceptable web of violence, theft and coercion.  

Making a declaration of peace also meant that I could not use a system that is founded on principles of violence and coercion.  Most people are willing to ignore the states claim on coercion and violence as it is a socially accepted tool to gain revenge on others.  Criminal and civil actions in court is just one example of how we engage in violence and war with our fellow man / womb-man.  So how do I walk away from that system and deal with the violence done against me?  Forgiveness!  If I want peace, I quickly realized that I had to learn how to forgive myself and others rather than search for revenge or justice.  This pillar is really tough to build but is critical as well!  I see lots of people working towards freedom who are still at war and they find all kinds of heart ache and trouble in their lives as a result.  

Pillar #4 - Rebutting Presumptions

Most people don't realize that the state presumes that each individual is vulnerable and in great need of protecting.  In fact, the state presumes a lot of other things too!  As a result, we are viewed like children and the state, made up of people wearing masks, then have the duty to look after us.  These presumptions are further re-enforced by our participation with the state through our actions to register, apply and even swear fealty to our feudal lords.  When I explored these relationships and realized that I was dependent on the state for a whole list of benefits and privileges, I had to confront myself on why I was not accepting that responsibility and accountability for myself.

In order to rebut these presumptions I had to establish my own independence by moving off the grid and returning to the land.  I am now able to provide for all our needs and I have the tools and skills necessary to pull it off.  At that point I made a declaration of my intent to be peaceful and independent.  I also made sure I established my own law form on how I was to govern myself.  Without that declaration of peace and law form, the state could presume that their 'default' law system would apply.  

By doing this, I resigned my position in their military as each card carrying citizen is a soldier in their army.  I also had to refuse to accept all benefits and privileges from their system.  Children receive benefits and privileges from their parents.  Adults have rights and duties and as such, it is my responsibility to no longer be a child placing a burden on the state and instead accept 100% responsibility and accountability for my life.   At that point I accepted the rights and duties of being an adult and govern myself accordingly.  It has been a struggle to maintain that boundary with the state, but it is coming along and we are working it out slowly.  

Pillar #5 - Know who I AM

This may seem like an odd pillar, but it is a critical component.  Again, my book is an excellent resource to help people work through this pillar and the implications that comes with it.  Language and words are critical as they are often used to enslave us.  Most people think they are a 'person' but in fact we are not.  Corporations are also all around us and most don't even see them, even though that hold many of them in their wallet or purse.  I AM a spiritual being in command of a physical vessel.  I do not own anything here on this physical realm and as such my job, while I am here, is to bring prosperity to the earth and build as many memories as I can.  I also believe that we are here to learn about what healthy relationships are all about and this post is about that point exactly!  

Surrendering ourselves to fictional constructs and thinking that they have authority in our life is the biggest lie ever told.  Spirit is the highest authority and power here on this planet.  The Kingdom of God is within us in spirit form - US!  Until we figure this out we are lost souls and as such the Pope and his empire will claim you.  However, if you know who you are, you are no longer lost and the Doctrines of Discovery start to fall away without any war or a shot being fired.  

When we discover who we really are, we are now in a position to claim our vessel back and then work towards emancipating the land to support our vessel.  This is the path that I AM on currently and working hard to manifest in my life time.  It started with my discovery that I AM a spiritual being having a physical experience and that I AM not a physical body or even a fictional person.  This required that I let go of a lot of what I was taught throughout my entire life.  

Freedom, independence and sovereignty

I've had a few indigenous people shocked that I was able to declare sovereignty on 'their land'.  The reality is that my vessel is the land and my spirit is expressing itself through that vessel which is the land upon which my sovereignty has been declared.  I am now working with other people to emancipate the land from the Crown and continue my exploration of what freedom really looks like.  

To stand on these pillars requires that the boundaries outline no only what I need to protect myself from others but also to limit what I will do to protect others from me.  Self-governance is a principle that requires the individual to self-restrict!  So I returned all the property that belongs to the state.  I am not in possession of a birth certificate, drivers license, passport, social insurance number, health care card or any other government issued ID.  Those documents belong to the state, not me.  I don't need them any more because I refuse to accept any benefit or privilege from them.

That is the boundary and I refuse to cross that line and do my best to ensure that I don't.  Therefor I have nobody to blame as I take full responsibility for my life.   

This is not a destination to achieve, it is a journey and there are lots of things to learn, experience, see, feel and observe along the way.  I am not finished and look forward to exploring these pillars for the rest of my life.  It is a life style, a philosophy of now to live and my faith in Creator really helps me along the way.  I have but one master, Creator of the heavens and Mother Earth.  I shall explore that relationship while my body breaths air!