It's Okay to Outgrow Yourself

As we head into a new year, I wanted to remind you that it's okay to mourn past versions of yourself. It's healthy even. Don't pity the past version of yourself for not knowing what you know now. Don't bully your brain. She was doing the best she could do at the time. If you don't make mistakes, you'll never learn. Being uncomfortable is what pushes you to grow.

Reflect on the old versions of yourself and thank her. Thank her for continuing to push through the difficult times. Thank her for rising out of bed and doing the damn thing, even when your heart was heavy. Admire her ability to see the best in people who ended up causing her pain. Admire her for taking that pain and using it as fuel to better herself.

It's okay to miss the person you once were. It's okay to look back at who you were with compassion and care yet not resonate with what they believed in even the slightest bit. As you get older, you will continue to grow out of many different versions of yourself. Think of past versions of yourself as old friends, who you needed to get to where you are now. Not all friendships are meant to last forever. Life gets tough. You change. You needed to get hurt, you needed to be humbled, you needed to experience loss. Things force us to change, even if we aren't ready. We leave pieces of ourselves along the way that never really fit.

It's going to feel weird and foreign. Weird is good. Weird is uncomfortable. Discomfort means you're growing. Leave the past versions of yourself behind to make room for the person you are becoming. You can still miss them, but you're not that person anymore. If you're beginning to feel comfortable for too long, you may be choosing safety over growth. You deserve more than that. You deserve to meet the best version of yourself.

Growth is hard. It can hurt like hell, and it might feel like breaking at first. Keep going. Don't choose safety and security. Never stop showing up for yourself. Never stop choosing growth.