Personal Growth Means Giving Yourself Permission to Change

I've been thinking about how easy it is to keep living according to an old description of myself.

I could say, “I've never been good at that,” “That's just who I am,” or “It's too late for me to change.”

But what if that isn't true anymore?

I am allowed to grow beyond who I used to be.

Personal growth means I don't have to stay connected to every belief, habit, expectation, or dream I've carried through the years.

Some things served me during one period of my life but don't belong in the next one.

I can appreciate the woman I was without asking her to make every decision for the woman I am becoming.

That means I can change my mind, learn new skills, set different goals, create stronger boundaries, return to an old dream, or discover a completely new one.

And I can stop using my age, my past choices, or my previous mistakes as evidence that change isn't possible.

One question helps me when I feel stuck:

Am I making this decision based on who I am now, or who I used to be?

Sometimes the answer surprises me. Growth

could require courage because familiar choices feel easier. But staying familiar isn't the same as moving forward.

Today, I'm giving myself permission to become someone I haven't been before.

·more confident.

·willing to try.

·willing to speak.

·willing to pursue the dreams that still call my name.

My past is part of my story, but it doesn't get to write every page that comes next. Neither does yours.

What is one thing you believe about yourself that may no longer be true?