A Version of Me I’m Proud I Outgrew

There’s a version of me that did everything she could to be liked.

She said yes when she meant no.

She overexplained.

She stayed quiet to keep the peace.

She tolerated things that chipped away at her because she didn’t want to be “difficult.”

I don’t hate her. She did what she had to do to survive.

But I’m proud I outgrew her.

I’m proud I learned that being agreeable isn’t the same as being respected. That self-sacrifice isn’t the same as selflessness. That shrinking yourself doesn’t make life easier — it just makes it smaller.

Outgrowing that version of me didn’t make me softer. It made me clearer.

And clarity is power.

Tomorrow’s prompt: The best advice I ignored (and eventually learned).