The first act of honouring the self is the assertion of consciousness.

The first act of honouring the self is the assertion of consciousness. The choice to think, to be aware, to send the searchlight of consciousness outward toward the world, and inward toward your own being. To fail in this effort is to fail the self at the most basic level. To honour the self is to be willing to think independently, to live by your own mind, and to have the courage of your own perceptions and judgments.