Are you at a place where all you need is a lifeline? A little freedom? Are you saying, “Calgon, take me away!” Believe me, I know the feeling. We can do so much for so many and still feel bound in chains to the world, to our surroundings, to our circumstances, and even to ourselves. Isn’t it time to free yourself? Just doing even a couple of these below will put you on the path to freedom… to just be.

1. Evaluate your self-worth.

Your self-worth has everything to do with how you see yourself, the places you visit, and the overall relationships you cultivate. If you have low self-worth, you will begin to attract people who also care nothing about themselves nor the people they hurt. However, if you value who you are and what you do, others will too. You will find yourself more apt to do what comes naturally to you while around them. You will enjoy yourself more because you are free to laugh, connect, and talk about what matters most to you and others will feel free to do the same.

2. Be an original.

For some, this goes without saying. But for others, this will take some time. All of us want to feel like we matter. But it shouldn’t be for the sake of doing things that others do to fit in. That can jeopardize your character and make you a fake and a phony. Just be yourself. As they always say, “An original is better than its copy.”

3. Forgive yourself and others.

Can you say within your heart of hearts that you have no animosity towards anything or anyone? Just think for a minute. Someone cuts you off on the road and you had to give them a piece of your mind. Or someone said they would do something for you, and they never did it. Or better yet, a dear friend of yours spilled the beans on something you’ve recently discussed in private and you swore him or her to secrecy. Yes, it made you upset, but was it that bad no not forgive them? The art of forgiveness is a learned behavior that once utilized can be liberating to say the least. It makes you look at life differently and makes you realize “it really wasn’t that serious.”

4. Learn to say no.

I know this one may be hard for some of you, but it is essential that you learn to say it for your own sanity. Not everyone will agree when you say no, nor will they like it. But who’s life is it anyway? The decisions you make ultimately affect you. Make sure those decisions make you feel comfortable and help you be effective in what you’ve been called to do. People will learn to respect you more by being honest and just saying no.

5. Control your reaction to things.

This one is extremely serious business. Many of us, with or without knowing it, assume the worst in people. Social media is one of the biggest places for this to happen. Imagine going to your inbox and seeing someone write something to you that disturbs you. Your first reaction is to take it the wrong way and lash back at them as a way of retaliation. However, you never tried to find out what the person was really trying to say or their emotions behind the message. Phone calls have almost become a thing of the past with some people, as texting and messaging has become the norm. But so much would be avoided if you would only control your reactions to it and find out more. Save your relationship and you free yourself from unnecessary heartache.

6. Love yourself.

Be free to love everything about you. Your strengths, your flaws-as many or as little as they are-are still a part of you. Once you come to love who you are, you can then be free to love others. Be vulnerable to love. Your freedom is yours to explore. Make the best of the journe