I understood myself only after I destroyed myself. And only in the process of fixing myself, did I know who I truly was. The hardest step I ever took was blindly trusting in who I was. I fell apart many times, but what does that say about me, other than I have lived through wars.

Every trial was like going to war, and I never came back the same. To think you can go through life and not be changed by it is to think you can jump into the ocean and not get wet. To really become your true self, you must understand that your life is going to be wrecked by change and circumstances, and built again into something beautiful, something lasting. Your new life should be all about newness...leaving things that don't help you grow behind...welcoming things that do with open arms. You should be optimistically looking forward to the rest of your life while remaining conscious of your past and your reality.

Once you start focusing on yourself again and ridding of your tarnished relationships, you won't believe the feelings and thoughts you once had. You don’t realize how bad some people’s vibes are until they’re not around and you feel free.

Don't think about what can happen in a month. Don't think about what could happen next year. Just focus on the 24 hours in front of you. Do what you can to get closer to where you want to be. When you can't control what's happening, challenge yourself to control the way in which you respond. Break out of your old habits and ways of thinking. Understand that you can love yourself without attributing your success to someone else. If I make new friends along the way, cool. But I'm not looking, and I'm not forcing connections. If it comes, it comes. Abandon one-sided connections, gravitate to equal exchanges of energy and watch as happiness envelopes you. You deserve all that goodness.

Don't seek or search. Don't ask, knock or demand. Relax. If you relax, everything will come. If you relax, it is there.

Always forward. Forward always.