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How to Be Free: A Proven Guide to Escaping Life's Hidden Prisons

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We all have hidden prisons—grief, anger, shame, trauma, self-doubt. But these prisons have doors. Drawing from his extraordinary journey from incarceration to New York Times bestselling author, resilience expert, and entrepreneur, Shaka Senghor reveals the mindset and proven practices that transformed his life—and can help anyone achieve their wildest dreams.

When Shaka received his second parole denial after 18 years behind bars, he had a choice to make: surrender to despair or transform himself from within.

He chose hope.

And when he did, he realized his greatest barriers existed within his own mind—past narratives, survivor's remorse, fear, and the inability to forgive. This awakening led him to discover universal truths about freedom that apply far beyond prison walls and transform every aspect of life—from deepening our relationships to achieving career success.

Through raw and powerful storytelling, Shaka reveals how we all grapple with invisible chains that hold us back. Drawing from profound lessons learned along his remarkable journey from solitary to the C-suite, he provides more than inspiration—he delivers a proven roadmap for transformation.

Using daily practices like journaling, meditation, mindfulness, and creative expression, you'll turn your vision into action, discovering how to break free from whatever holds you back so you can step into your true potential.

How To Be Free is your invitation to embrace joy, reclaim your narrative, and unlock the doors to the life you deserve.

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 2025

82 people are currently reading
2924 people want to read

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Shaka Senghor

12 books182 followers

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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Sarah Cupitt.
862 reviews48 followers
November 21, 2025
Didn't pack anything to read at my appointment so TA-DA

Phone notes:
- We spend a lot of time trying to get free. Free from bad habits, dead-end jobs, unfulfilling relationships, and sometimes even our own expectations. But often, when we think we’re chasing freedom, what we’re really doing is running in circles – trying to catch a feeling that was never external to begin with.
We tell ourselves we’ll finally relax once we’ve ticked every box. We’ll feel confident once we’ve achieved more. We’ll slow down once the pressure lifts. But what if freedom isn’t something you earn after the fact?
- Freedom isn’t the absence of struggle, it’s the presence of choice. It’s deciding to lead in your work and your relationships with love rather than resentment or control. It’s choosing joy on the hardest days, not just the good ones. It’s facing fear, not with the promise of elimination, but with the courage to move forward anyway.
- The emotional energy you bring to your work can’t come at the expense of your personal well-being or growth. Passion is powerful, but when it crosses the line into over-identification, it becomes a trap
- Love doesn’t mean avoiding hard decisions – it means making them with compassion. It’s about building cultures of trust, where people can be themselves, speak up, and feel seen. That starts with you.
- find the sweet spot where your passion, skills, mission, and profession meet. That’s your purpose, and often, it’s also your joy.
- Reconnect with the kid in you. What made you lose track of time back then? Try doing more of that. Maybe it’s coloring, climbing trees, or riding a bike. It might feel silly at first, but that’s the point: joy loves playfulness. It also loves company, so don’t hunt joy alone.
- Another powerful shift is using fear as fuel. When you feel those nerves kick in, don’t try to bury them. Redirect that energy. Let it sharpen your focus and push you forward. Instead of resisting fear, move with it.
- Freedom doesn’t mean your problems vanish. It means they no longer define you
Profile Image for Adam.
1,169 reviews26 followers
December 31, 2025
At first I thought this was an average self-help book hitting the shotgun of self-help topics. But, Senghor showed his strengths as the book progressed. One of those stories you feel is out there so it feels cliche as you read about his incarceration, but then his self-help knowledge comes together pretty well. I'm not needing much of what was said, but I respect the book.
Profile Image for Sara Landfors.
8 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2026
The author has a very inspiring life story but i found the advice and the language to be cliché.
Profile Image for Jung.
1,984 reviews46 followers
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November 21, 2025
Finding freedom often feels like a lifelong chase, yet Shaka Senghor’s "How to Be Free" suggests that what we’re running toward is usually already inside us. We try to escape draining routines, limiting mindsets, overwhelming expectations, or relationships that pull us down, believing that liberation arrives only after we’ve fixed everything around us. But the book argues that freedom isn’t an external reward waiting at the end of endless effort - it’s an internal stance we can claim at any moment. In a world where achievement, productivity, and comparison distract us constantly, the book reminds us that freedom begins with choice: choosing awareness over autopilot, courage over fear, and purpose over pressure. As "How to Be Free" unfolds, it offers a grounded path for breaking out of the invisible prisons that shape how we think, love, work, and grow, calling us back to the deeper self that’s been waiting to lead the way.

One of the first inner barriers the book addresses is our misunderstanding of love - not romantic love alone, but the kind of love that runs through how we lead, care, communicate, and show up. Love, Senghor suggests, doesn’t weaken leadership or professionalism; it strengthens them when backed by honesty and boundaries. We often think caring deeply about our work means sacrificing ourselves for it, but true commitment isn’t martyrdom. We can dedicate ourselves fully while still honoring our limits. Many people get stuck when they over-identify with roles, titles, or environments, feeling betrayed when others move on or guilty when they themselves need to let go. The book reframes letting go as an act of love too - a way of respecting the truth rather than clinging to something that no longer aligns. Whether in the workplace or at home, real leadership requires compassion paired with clarity. You set the tone through your behavior, through the respect you extend, and through the boundaries you establish. Love without limits drains; love with intention becomes sustainable. And it all starts with self-love, which is built slowly through reflection, rituals of care, and choices that honor your worth. When you nurture yourself, you create the foundation for every other relationship in your life to grow from honesty instead of obligation.

From there, the book turns to joy - not as a momentary thrill, but as an intentional practice. Joy doesn’t just appear; it’s cultivated through noticing what fills you up and making space for it regularly. Fun can be loud and exciting, but joy is quieter, grounded in meaning and alignment. You find joy when your actions match who you want to be. That requires curiosity about your daily routines and a willingness to re-evaluate what you give your time to. Senghor uses the idea behind Ikigai - the intersection of passion, skill, mission and livelihood - to show that joy often grows where purpose lives. Still, joy isn’t limited to big discoveries or long-term goals. Sometimes it’s in reclaiming the small pleasures you once loved: music that makes you feel alive, hobbies from childhood, or time spent with people who bring out your lightness instead of your stress. Joy can also be an act of healing, especially when you use it to counter old pain or patterns. Setting a 'joy budget,' both in time and energy, turns joy into a non-negotiable part of life instead of an afterthought. The more you choose to create space for it, the more natural it becomes to experience joy even when life is imperfect.

A major part of becoming free is confronting fear. Fear reduces the size of your world long before anything external actually changes. Most fears aren’t about the outside world - they’re about the internal narratives you replay: the belief that you’re unqualified, unworthy, or destined to fail. The book invites you to name your fears with honesty, because unexamined fears control you more than acknowledged ones. Once named, these fears can be questioned and reframed. Everyone fails. Everyone struggles. Everyone starts with shaky steps. Instead of seeing fear as a stop sign, Senghor encourages readers to view it as information - an indicator of where growth wants to happen. You can redirect the energy of fear instead of suppressing it. You can choose to act even with trembling hands. And most importantly, you can detach your self-worth from outcomes. When your value is rooted in integrity and alignment rather than applause or perfection, fear loses its leverage. You don’t need to eliminate fear to be free; you just need to stop giving it the final say.

Growth also requires stamina - the daily decision to show up, even when motivation fades. Senghor illustrates this through stories of extraordinary perseverance, using figures like Muhammad Ali and Stephen Curry to show that greatness isn’t born from ease but from resilience. These individuals excel not because everything goes their way, but because they continue despite setbacks, criticism, or mistakes. The same principle applies to anyone working through their own inner battles. Many people live behind invisible barriers built from guilt, shame, or long-held self-judgments, which quietly limit their lives more than any external circumstance. The book emphasizes that you can break these patterns by adopting consistent practices of self-belief. Small acts of discipline - writing, exercising, learning, creating - trained daily, not perfectly, become a path toward becoming 'unstoppable.' Each time you take action aligned with your goals, you send yourself a message of belief and capability. Consistency transforms identity more powerfully than emotion ever could.

Ultimately, the heart of "How to Be Free" is the reminder that freedom is available right now. It isn’t something that arrives after you’ve organized your life to perfection or won approval from others. It’s a present-moment choice. You can claim it as soon as you stop replaying yesterday’s mistakes and stop rehearsing tomorrow’s worries. Freedom grows when you refuse to carry stories that weigh you down. It deepens when you breathe, observe, and return to what truly matters. Simple practices - pausing before reacting, taking brief moments of silence, stepping away from distraction - can open the door to a calmer and more intentional life. Freedom doesn’t erase difficulty but alters your relationship with it. You become lighter, more grounded, more true to yourself. And with each moment of presence, you practice releasing old narratives in favor of ones that support who you are becoming.

In conclusion, "How to Be Free" offers a powerful reminder that freedom is less about changing your entire world and more about shifting your inner landscape. It teaches that love becomes transformative when guarded by boundaries and rooted in self-respect; that joy is something you generate by living with intention; that fear weakens when you identify it and choose to move anyway; that persistence creates progress far more reliably than perfection; and that real liberation begins whenever you stop waiting for external permission and start choosing a life aligned with your deepest values. Senghor’s message is simple but profound: freedom is available now, and the path to it begins within.
Profile Image for Kelly.
215 reviews
October 3, 2025
I listened to the audio version of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio in exchange for an honest review. The author narrated the audiobook himself. A warning for some, there is swearing used in the book.

I found the book to be a really great compilation of self-help knowledge. Shaka is well-read. He has also spent 19 years in prison for killing a person. Through his reading and writing, he was able to first free himself from his mental prison and then earn his way to freedom from prison and become a very successful author and a well-connected person, even having Oprah’s personal phone number.

I really appreciated the organization of the book. The first section focuses on “Breaking the Chains,” where each chapter is a topic on things that keep us imprisoned, such as grief, anger, and shame. Part 2 speaks to finding your strength through vulnerability, forgiveness, and resilience. Part 3 guides a person to “Embrace freedom” through hope and composure, love, joy, success, facing down fear, becoming unstoppable, and finding true freedom. The structure of the chapters is also well done. The chapters each start with stories from Shaka’s life, many of which I don’t relate to, but they gave me food for thought. Followed by the stories, which also contain bits of wisdom that Shaka had learned through those events, we reach the section called “Digging Deeper,” where he speaks about deeper philosophical thoughts and lessons, with encouragement for us on how to apply these same bits of truth. Finally, at the end of the chapter, there are key points and suggestions for applications that we, as the reader, can apply to our own lives in tangible ways. For example, from the chapter on love, much was said about how we need to love ourselves in order to love others well. One of the application suggestions was to write down three things each morning that you love about yourself. I’ve modified it to what I like about myself. Some days, I struggle more with the task than others, but it is teaching me to focus on things other than what I’d like to change and acknowledge that there are aspects of myself that are good.

I have read numerous “self-help” books on leadership, success, mindset, drive, regret, etc., so I’ve heard many of Shaka’s points before. Regardless, they are still good points. He also presented things in new and unique ways. I have a lot of gratitude for the privilege I’ve enjoyed and a greater appreciation for many of the choices I’ve made in life. I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with anger, grief, or shame. I believe the book outlines a path that individuals can follow to feel freer and discover joy, love, and success.

My one challenge with the audiobook is that it can be hard to capture all the great suggestions from the digging deeper and key takeaway sections, especially if you’re listening while driving.
Profile Image for Aktar.
203 reviews2 followers
November 12, 2025
3.5 ⭐️

Authentic, reflective, and grounded in redemption

This was my first read-through of How to Be Free, and I appreciated Shaka Senghor’s authenticity and unique perspective. His honesty about his experiences and his message of redemption stand out as the book’s strongest qualities. The tone feels genuine, and I found the insights both inspiring and practical.

That said, most of the core lessons here weren’t new to me. Many of the ideas around healing, self-awareness, and personal growth are familiar territory if you’ve read other books in the genre. Still, hearing them through Senghor’s lived experience gave them renewed context and emotional weight.

I’d recommend this book to newer readers interested in self-growth and reflection. It’s very beginner-friendly and serves as a thoughtful introduction to the concepts of freedom, forgiveness, and emotional healing. For more seasoned readers, it may feel less groundbreaking—but it’s still a worthwhile perspective to engage with.

#Memoir #SelfHelp #PersonalGrowth
Profile Image for Rajshekhar Upadhyay.
2 reviews
September 28, 2025
How to Be Free by Shaka Senghor takes a deeply personal take on life and emotions that guide each moment. His resilience and habit of taking ownership of emotions irrespective of outcomes is something to take home for all of us.

However, some chapters feel slightly dragged and language seems mixed and repetitive, like the one on success. Some experiences shared are also very minute in nature and might not resonate with everyone to the same extent. There's an over-reliance on personal anecdotes, where a blend from different people would have brought more social proof and reduced overlap. Some of these points might not be valid for someone who's starting out in the self-help genre.
2 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2025
How to Be Free is written with such depth, tenderness, and practicality by a man who has every reason to be hardened and closed off, that it feels like a revolution in humanity-led self-help. Shaka shares his stories with striking honesty and vulnerability. Even though my life experiences are so different from his, I feel profoundly connected and eager to apply his principles of self-liberation to my own life. This book is for anyone and everyone, and I feel honored to witness Shaka’s journey.
Profile Image for Nic Brisbourne.
221 reviews12 followers
November 16, 2025
There’s good solid self help in this book delivered with grit and real examples. But I still skipped through it in an hour. To be fair it arrived in my life at a time when freedom for me has a more spiritual dimension and I can definitely see the power in these pages.
35 reviews6 followers
January 9, 2026
This book was incredible! I had the opportunity to meet Shaka Senghor at a conference. I became a fan instantly. We all need Shaka’s guide to being free and living life to the fullest. I don’t owe my old mistakes to my future.

I recommend everyone read and live this book.
Profile Image for Mitch Olson.
314 reviews8 followers
October 28, 2025
This book felt like it was written for the author's sake rather than his readers.
Profile Image for Josephine Olok.
293 reviews3 followers
January 21, 2026
A great self help book on how to be free. It's not physical freedom but the freedom that comes from liberating your mind and building resilience in yourself.
Profile Image for Em.
224 reviews
September 9, 2025
I’ve read all of Shaka Senghor’s books, and How to Be Free might be his most powerful yet. As a therapist specializing in bibliotherapy and someone who teaches this work to librarians serving incarcerated populations, I was deeply moved by the way Senghor turns his own journey into a practical guide for breaking free from the mental and emotional prisons we build for ourselves.

This book explores both life after incarceration as well as overcoming the self-judgment, fear, and limiting beliefs that keep any of us from living fully. Senghor writes with honesty about love, parenting, grief, and the daily work of cultivating joy. By sharing his healing journey and the details of how he overcame the past to move forward, Shaka shows that freedom begins in the mind and heart. His stories, reflections, and actionable exercises offer accessible tools for anyone ready to step into their worth and create a life filled with abundance, connection, and purpose.
Profile Image for Orsayor.
736 reviews3 followers
September 9, 2025
How to Be Free: A Proven Guide to Escaping Life's Hidden Prisons by Shaka Senghor is not just a book.
It is a soul mirror.
A reminder that freedom starts with awareness stillness and truth.
Everything you need is already within you.
You just have to be willing to sit with it and rise from it.

(Full review on www.bookreferees.org)
2 reviews
October 12, 2025
already want to reread

I absolutely loved this book! Beautifully written and absolutely freeing. I can’t wait to share it! It came at the perfect time.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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