eing free is more than being released from life's external shackles.

Written history shows us that people have been oppressed by the boundaries of others' thinking since the beginning of language, perhaps long before.

Once we have shaken off the shackles the world places upon us, we must shake off the ones we've internalized, the human desire to please anyone other than ourselves.

That doesn't mean we must be selfish. In face, we can only reach out true potential to contribute to our world when we access our completely unique brilliance. This is only possible with the freedom that self-love ignites.

In college, I read that self-love begins when we observe our own actions and words with compassion. Those words from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary have always stuck with me for some reason. Maybe it's the part about being aware and conscious of ourselves, the decisions we make and things we do. Self-reflection is necessary so that we can get to know and understand ourselves.