Over the past couple of years, I've gone through so many changes in my life that I'm a completely different person now. I don't feel the same things and I react to situations differently. I should be thrilled about this, but I'm mostly confused. I've never been this version of myself before. How do I act now? I default to the same feelings and habits of who I was before, but they feel foreign to me now. How do I transition from who I was before to who I've become?
I've noticed a few things that I've started doing and have gotten much better at that have really helped me grow as a person. I must confess I'm still pretty new to these things, so I mess up a lot in these areas, but I've also improved so much because of these surprisingly simple steps:
1. Let go.
I think the biggest thing I've learned is the freedom of letting things go. I've always been the type of person to hold on tightly to things that made me angry or sad because I thought I had to; I thought it would protect me from being hurt again or justify why I should be upset. After I started learning how to let go of the past, I was much happier and content. I let go of mistakes I had made, things that other people did, any kind of sadness that I had, and other negative things that were holding me down instead of progressing me forward. Forgiving others and forgiving myself have really made a difference for me. It's been something I wish I'd learned to do sooner.
2. Trust.
If I let go, what do I hold on to now? I can't just wander around or else I won't be much better than where I started. That's another thing I needed to learn. I had a bad habit of letting things go without replacing them with positive things. So, what else do I hang onto? Instead of anger and sadness, I hold onto hope and peace. I have supportive people who I trust to help and guide me through life. Maybe trust doesn't seem too stable; it doesn't seem solid enough. Trust acknowledges that not everything is certain but that things will be alright in the end. Trust God, trust people who love you, and don't look back to the negative things that you've held onto for so long.
3. 'Keep moving forward.'
Right when you think you've figured something out, you'll realize there is still plenty more for you to learn. That's okay; that's life. You'll constantly be growing and changing nonstop. It sounds tiring, but it's worth the effort. Keep growing, keep changing, and you'll become the person that you never thought you could be. I have to tell myself this every single day. It's daunting, but it's motivating.
We all go through changes in life. It could be a difficult experience we've had to overcome or even just growing up and learning to become an adult. It's a good thing, but it's also extremely confusing. People change, it's just a part of life. I'm so glad to be the person I am today, I feel happier and healthier than I've ever been, and I hope that I never stop growing!