In ancient times, Plato would tell a story about imprisoned Greeks who had spent their entire lives chained inside a cave. In the dim light, they saw their own shadows played out against the inner walls of the cave, and these images so frightened them they could barely move, for fear of arousing the shadows' wrath. Finally, one of the slaves broke free and stepped outside into the sunlight. The freed prisoner went back and excitedly told his fellow inmates about the splendor of the outside world, but they covered their ears in protest and shrank in terror. And thus they lived out their lives shackled to the cave, afraid of their own shadows. We may confine ourselves to a dark cave, but the invitation to experience light and our greater Self always awaits us.