The Independence Workbook: Part of the Circle Blueprint System By Jack Skeen, Greg Miller, and Aaron Hill The Independence Workbook is one of four supplemental workbooks that are included in The Circle Blueprint System. The system also includes a book— The Circle Blueprint: Decoding the Conscious and Unconscious Factors that Determine Your Success, by Jack Skeen, Greg Miller, and Aaron Hill—and a confidential scientifically validated psychometric self-assessment. The self-assessment is free with purchase of The Circle Blueprint. In The Circle Blueprint, the authors pinpoint four developmental areas that, once examined and mastered, can help you thrive. Each of these four areas—Independence, Power, Humility, and Purpose—make up your “Circle,” which the authors describe as a map of the choices you make every day. This particular workbook focuses on independence. Here is how The Circle Blueprint System works: 1. Read The Circle Blueprint. 2. Take the assessment. You will receive a score on the “Thriving Scale.” 3. Depending on which areas the assessment shows you need to work on, go to the appropriate workbook. Based on your unique score, you’ll see exactly where to begin the exercises. At that point, you may do as much or as little as you wish. Here is some information on independence: Most people don’t understand the real meaning of independence. They think it means being self-reliant. What independence really means is being free from the need to please others or worry about what other people think. It’s about taking 100 percent responsibility for your life and its outcomes. Independence is living with freedom from self-doubt and insecurity. Independence is the ability to be undistracted by anxiety over the future and by guilt about the past, such that you are fully present to the power in each moment. Independence is freedom from the drama created by others and from the stories in your head that create drama in your life. It is crucial to master independence, because seeking other people’s approval wastes energy and stops you from discovering and pursuing what you really want and need. When you lack independence, you also lack self-confidence. You can’t act decisively (an especially big problem if you’re in a leadership position). You’re always doing what others think is right for you rather than what you truly want. As a result, you never cultivate the unique gifts and abilities that should be the basis of your success. Additionally, lacking independence forces you to be an inauthentic person, because you must constantly hide your true feelings. After you’ve taken your assessment and received The Independence Workbook, you may proceed at your own pace. You may do as much or as little of the exercises as you wish. However, the more exercises you complete, the closer you will become to creating a balanced, happy, thriving life. You deserve nothing less. To learn more about the other three workbooks in the series, click on the links below: The Power Workbook The Humility Workbook The Purpose Workbook