If you love

If you love something, set it free.

I've been hearing that cliche for more than 30 years. Last night -- for the first time -- I realized it applies just as much to loving oneself as it does to another. Imagine the possibilities, if only we could find enough self-love to set ourselves free -- of expectation, anxiety, insecurity, fear -- of all the things that hold us back. And from Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh:

"When we feed and support our own happiness, we are nourishing our ability to love. That’s why to love means to learn the art of nourishing our happiness."