Spiritual Medicine Digest: INDEPENDENCE – Good or Bad?

Growing up, I was afraid of almost everything. I couldn’t even ask for help tying my shoelaces in kindergarten. Being raised in a first-generation Chinese family in Canada, I was immersed in a culture of familial dependence. Then, I encountered North American ideals that glorified independence—and my world was turned upside down. My marriage to someone who championed radical independence forced me to examine my beliefs and expand my own identity.

That led to empowerment… for a time. I felt capable, strong, and finally “enough” without constant validation. But I didn’t realize that I was moving into unhealthy ultra-independence—where needing help felt like weakness. I even began pushing away divine support, not out of rebellion, but out of an unconscious pattern I hadn’t yet healed. It took time, experiences, and a great deal of self-awareness to recognize that total independence wasn’t freedom—it was another form of imbalance.

The truth I’ve come to see clearly is that we are designed for interdependence. Nature itself is a masterclass in interconnected harmony. Relationships, community, and support systems aren’t signs of failure—they’re opportunities for growth and expansion. In this week’s TOLPAKAN™ Healing Activation, I guide you into a balanced space between independence and interdependence… because you don’t have to do this alone.