Books That Inspire Personal Growth & Radical Independence Self-care. Self-empowerment. Self-love. These terms are not to be interpreted as self-absorbed, self-centered, or selfish, but are meant to take control of your life and develop independence—especially if you find yourself navigating a major transition in your life, whether it be personal or professional. Are you looking to break free from co-dependence, people-pleasing, and validation from others? If so, you’ve taken your first step into self-empowerment. Even during times of adversity, you are never without the power to change, grow, and become mentally, emotionally, creatively, and spiritually independent. You just need the right guidance to trust yourself, heal from dependence, and build a strong sense of identity on your own terms. So, where to begin? Well, a good place to start is to get comfortable being by yourself and learn the difference between loneliness and being alone. Alone time is always good. It gives you a chance to de-stress from others’ energies and allows yourself to discover what you can do on your own. Loneliness could hinder this, especially if your past involved co-dependence or abuse. Healing from those takes time, but once you’ve learned how to function and be by yourself—and