Sixty-nine years ago today, on Aug. 1, 1944, 14-year-old Anne Frank wrote what would be the last entry into her now-famous diary: “[I] keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would like to be, and what I could be, if…there weren’t any other people living in the world.”

When we pause to consider the world in which Ms. Frank was living at the time of her journal writing, her words seem full of hope and wonder, transcending the atrocities that were happening right outside her door. Never once did she allow her surroundings to stifle her growth; rather, she tried to imagine a time when she might spread her wings and expand her very existence beyond measure, if only she did not have to contend with others in her path.

How often do you wake up and face the day with the best of intentions, only to allow some dynamic, some action, or some other individual to alter your positive path? Certainly emergencies present themselves, and sometimes your plans must be temporarily placed on hold.  However, if your goal has been to become what you would like to be — a healthier, fit version of yourself — sometimes you must truly imagine that there are not any other people in the world, and just take that first step of self-empowerment as you embark on your journey.

Despite that commonly-quoted movie line, we cannot rely on another person to “complete” us.  This is a solo job, and each of us must find the path that best leads to a healthy spiritual wholeness.  The process might entail a bit of experimentation; I often suggest to my clients, for example, that they try some group exercise classes, cooking classes, or other outlets in addition to personal training, all in an effort to become what they envision for themselves.  Sure, it is easy to accept complacency, or to acquiesce in order to please another individual in your life.  But we are blessed to be living in a world filled with much more freedom and opportunity than the one which Anne Frank faced every morning.  Close your eyes…imagine what or whom you might wish to be….then open your eyes and soar; let nothing or no one stand in your way.