Life can sometimes feel like a well-decorated prison.

From our first breath on Earth to our last, we are trapped. A womb. A school. An office. A hospital. A coffin.

The management may change, but the rules stay the same. You cannot leave. You cannot do as you wish.

For all its beauty, the prisons of life are countless, and just as overwhelming. Life’s prisons do not only include those physical institutions that confine the criminal or insane, but the mundane as well. Beyond the physical manifestations of imprisonment await all manner of emotional shackles, mental snares, deep dark dungeons of the spirit.

A sudden bout of crippling depression keeps us from leaving bed. A deep-rooted mentality restricts us from reaching out for help. A society’s unyielding traditions oppress our soul’s true yearnings. Life is complex, as are the reasons we may sometimes feel trapped. Anything that bars us from our personal freedom may indeed be called a “prison”.

For every prison that restricts us, however, there is a key.

Time allows us to outgrow some restraints. Relocation can free us from many others. Worldly knowledge can lift us just out of reach from intricate snares. Still, to unlock a life of true freedom, freedom from all things, only one key is needed.

It is a key that has been carried within the hearts and minds of all people for thousands of years. Yet, somehow, it continues to elude our grasp. From the mystery schools of Ancient Egypt to the philosopher circles of Classical Greece, some of the wisest scholars throughout history have offered this key as a seemingly simple maxim – “Know thyself.”

The key to True Freedom is Self-Knowledge.

—————————-

—————————-

“Know thyself.”

For the lucky few, those two words are all that is needed to unlock a life of overwhelming abundance and freedom. For the rest of us, however, this may not be the case.

To attain self-knowledge a state of pause and introspection is necessary. Though it sounds simple, for many of us this state can be difficult to achieve. Many lack the time, the environment, or simply the patience for quiet self-reflection. Dozens of obligations and tasks to complete hold our minds hostage. On the other hand, even just one can be debilitating. A single intense fixation can drown out all else.

The path to freedom for every individual is unique and completely valid. While self-knowledge may be the golden shortcut for some, others will progress by first unlocking their immediate restraints. Our individual paths may diverge but each leads to the same ultimate destination. With unrelenting effort, a life of freedom is possible for all to achieve.

Physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. The prisons of life are countless. However, the ways to unlock them are just as overwhelming.

For every prison there is a “key”. Take a look through our articles to find yours.

—————————-

Life can sometimes feel like a well-decorated prison.

When it does, do not lose hope.

There is always a way out.

You just need the right key.