Growth doesn’t knock; it just sneaks up on you until one day you look back and realise that you’re no longer the person you used to be. Your worldview, actions, reactions, and pattern of thinking all become different.
Looking back, I see how much I’ve changed. I used to think of myself as the guy who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but life and certain experiences have shown me that I’m capable of doing much more than that.
Through these reflections, I discovered something new about forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t just about pardoning others, but also pardoning yourself. True forgiveness is when you’re able to look into the mirror, reminisce on what you’ve done, and say,
“I forgive myself. I know what I did was wrong and inhumane, but I won’t let it stop me from being better. I won’t let it hold me down”.
About a year ago, I made some choices I wasn’t proud of. Choices I knew were wrong but indulged in anyway. I was torn between putting an abrupt end to it or enjoying it while it lasted. Well, I enjoyed it at the expense of the trust I had in myself.
My actions inspired a self-reflection. I saw how much I’ve grown. I noticed how traits that used to be my strengths were now weaknesses. I saw how careless I’ve become, and it was painful to admit.
What’s done is done. I started to make necessary life changes, but still felt disappointed with myself. I found it difficult to pardon myself. When trying to advise someone or reflect on something I heard, my past strolls back, telling me how unfit I am to have a voice of change or encouragement in the matter being discussed.
It’s gone and all in the past. You’ve lived it, and you’ve learned from it. Don’t let it trouble you again. If you can forgive others, why shouldn’t you forgive yourself? One attribute of living things is change. If you’ve been the same since childhood, without any alteration to your pattern of living, then you’ve only been existing, not truly living. And that’s no way to live life. That’s no way to evolve.
Learn from your shortcomings and rejoice in your growth. That’s how you grow into someone better. Why stay brooding on a past that is gone? Why stay fixated on a past you can’t change? Why not learn from your past mistakes and build a better future. Develop a better mindset.
And yeah, I am growing. These last few months have been filled with experiences of growth. Not yet rock solid, but I know I’m improving, I’m getting better than I ever was. And so can you.
Growth isn’t always easy. It’s painful and humbling, but it’s necessary. So, look in the mirror and say,
“I am growing. My mistakes don’t define me. I let go. I pardon myself. I begin to live a full life. I forgive myself”.
That’s what growth is: learning, forgiving, and moving forward.
Truly, growth is inevitable
Thank you for this piece