Foundations for practice of the Nursing as Caring theory rest on the nurse coming to know self as caring person in ever deepening and broadening dimensions. While all nurses may have (or at least, may have had) a sense of self as caring person, practicing within this theoretical framework requires a deliberate commitment to developing this knowledge. In many settings where nurses find themselves practicing, there is little in the environment to support a commitment to ongoing development of a sense of self as caring person. In fact, many practice environments seem to support knowing self only as instrument, self as technology. When one perceives of one's "nursing self" as a depersonalized, disembodied tool, nursing tends to lose its flavor and the devoted commitment to nursing burns out. So how to sustain and actualize this fundamental commitment must be a point of serious study for the nurse who desires to practice nursing as caring. Mayeroff's (1971) caring ingredients are useful tools to assist the nurse in developing an ever-present awareness of self as caring person. Taking note of personal patterns of expressing hope, honesty, courage, and the other ingredients is a good starting place. Understanding the meaning of living caring in one's own life is an important base for practicing nursing as caring. In reflecting on a particular lived experience of caring, the nurse can seek to understand the ways in which caring contributed freedom within the situation--freedom to be, freedom to choose, and freedom to unfold.