This wasn’t about shedding my identity as a convicted murderer or embracing a different one as a writer. It was about rejecting the emotional responses to trauma that were keeping me locked in a version of myself I no longer wanted to be. We’re all imprisoned in some way. We all have our hidden prisons. We cling to what’s familiar, even when it’s harmful because we’re afraid of the unknown. But true freedom means questioning those old beliefs, rejecting the outdated narratives, and creating a new identity.
Quote by Shaka Senghor from his book HOW TO BE FREE
REFLECTION:
- What hidden prison (identity) keeps you locked in to a version of yourself you no longer want to be?
- What old beliefs/outdated narratives about yourself need to be questioned?
- What new identity do you want to create for yourself?