Redefining the Pledge of Allegiance: A Journey to Authenticity

Standing backstage moments before giving a talk, I felt the sharp sting of dissonance ripple through me. The? audience, gathered in respectful unison, began reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. A simple act for most—routine even. But for me? It was anything but.?

The words, “liberty and justice for all,” echoed through the room, and I cringed. They didn’t feel true to me, not in that moment and not in the world I was looking out at. Our freshly elected president certainly didn’t embody justice for all. The phrase rattled me to my core, summoning an urge so strong to flee that I had to root my feet to the ground to stop myself.?

You see, I grew up in an environment steeped in pretense. Abuse taught me to wear a mask, to smile while swallowing pain, to act like everything was okay when it was far from it. But I’ve left that life behind. The moment I broke through denial and stared reality in the face, I made a promise. A fierce, unrelenting promise to myself that I would no longer pretend. Not for the sake of conventions. Not for comfort. Never again.?

And yet, there I was, surrounded by voices reciting words that felt so far from our reality. Words intended to unite, yet all I could feel was fracture—division so deep it seemed to swallow the room whole.?

After the event, I couldn’t shake it. I dove into the words that make up this iconic pledge, peeling them back layer by layer. The deeper I went into their meaning, the more I realized why they stung so deeply.?

Take “indivisible,” for instance. It means “unable to divide or separate.” It’s a beautiful idea—a nation so connected that nothing could pull it apart. But as I see it now, we are far from indivisible. Division is tangible, surrounding us in ways big and small. To recite the Pledge as though it mirrors our reality? For me, it felt like an injustice.?

But that wasn’t the end of my exploration. I wasn’t content to leave the pledge behind, to abandon its ideals entirely. Instead, I chose to reclaim it—and make it my own.?

The truth is, I may not control the words others speak, the choices politicians make, or the fractures in our society. But I can control what those words mean to me. I can decide how I choose to show up in this world—how I treat myself and others, no matter the external chaos.

For me, my pledge became this:

“I pledge allegiance to my truth, to standing firmly in my values. I commit to unity within myself—to authenticity, compassion, and respect for others regardless of the divides we cannot always mend.”?

This is how I’ve reimagined being “indivisible.” It starts within me. Because the world outside will always have its flaws, its corruption, its disconnection. But inside the walls of my own thinking? I get to decide.?

This isn’t just about the Pledge of Allegiance—not really. It’s about breaking free from pretense and showing up in all areas of life as my real, unpolished self. It’s about holding onto ideals while honoring reality, choosing what to stand for rather than accepting narratives that don’t feel true to me.?

And so I ask you, what does your pledge look like? What do you stand for, not because someone else told you to, but because it aligns with your truth—even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it challenges the status quo??

For me, stepping into authenticity hasn’t always been easy. But it has been worth it, every single time.

Here’s to your greatness,

Misti Burmeister

Misti Burmeister helps leaders and their team have conversations they keep avoiding but need to have. For nearly 20 years, she has facilitated communication that results in trust, increasing engagement and productivity across generations. Make sure your communication is coming across the way you intend, visit?https://www.MistiBurmeister.com