“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.”
~ Bob Marley

Many of us are held captive by limitations placed on us by ourselves or others, and we choose to accept these false boundaries. We become mentally enslaved by fear, ignorance, low self-esteem, self-doubt, expectations or negativity.

The path to emancipation from mental slavery is paved through gaining new knowledge, insights, ideas and frameworks—new mental models and new ways of thinking. Liberation is achieved through the ongoing development of your mind, and the choice not to accept the boundaries or limitations created by you or others.

“The mind is a powerful force. It can enslave us or empower us. It can plunge us into the depths of misery or take us to the heights of ecstasy. Learn to use it wisely.” ~ David Cuschieri

In thinking about this—how our minds can enslave us—we have to come to terms that for many we have lied to ourselves about our lack of power, free-will and universal knowledge. We have placed chains on ourselves and believe the lies we told ourselves. We essentially became slaves to the false limitations or boundaries created.   

The challenge is that we don’t know that we are in mental slavery, that we created a personal matrix or illusion—becoming stuck in our own “reality” and creating beliefs about ourselves that are really false (not true to our souls). These constraints and limiting thoughts in turn get fueled by the world around us. We simply forget that our minds are but a tool.

How liberating is it to set your mind free and to know that there are no excuses for the mind to become over-powered with pessimism and unhappiness or that we are controlled by others? So how do we step back from this mental slavery? We are all blessed with the ability to reflect and the Universal rights of free-will and choice. We all have the ability to step back from our thoughts and gain a mental position of power.

To start, evaluate whether your thoughts or beliefs are true to you and if they serve you. You can always step back and question a belief or idea. It is true that you can make your own decisions. You do not have to be obedient to others’ expectations or belief systems. You can create the reality you desire, take responsibility for your decisions and emancipate your mind!

Freeing your mind is a continuous action that requires understanding, thought, words, action, effort, mindfulness and concentration. Here are some helpful steps to get you started in freeing your mind, and that you can work into your daily life and thought processes:

-Believe in yourself
-Take responsibility for where you are
-Forgive and let go of the past
-Stop people-pleasing and approval-seeking behaviors
-Don’t constrain yourself by expectations (yours or others)
-Keep an open mind and stop judging and comparing
-Take ownership of what you desire and take action to realize it
-Be positive and don’t harbor toxic emotions
-Envision your future and maintain your focus on it
-Fight for your dreams

Start to pave your path to mental freedom today.