02. A Step Back to Reflect

Growth by Trial

The act of self-reflection has long been a catalyst for my personal growth. Without pausing to understand what once was — where I have been, what I have felt — how could anyone hope to move forward with intention? And better yet, with the wisdom not to repeat the same mistakes twice?

Of course, there’s a delicate balance to it all. Spend too much time looking back and you risk setting your anchor too deep — a paradox as old as time: how do you honor your past without letting it anchor you?

When do you know the time has come to end the introspective period? To let go of the past and move forward with the fearless conviction of your younger, more oblivious self?

Google might offer a timeline. A friend may say, “When you’re ready, you’ll know.”

But what does ready even mean?

I’ve found this to be true: when the pain of lingering in the past hurts greater than that of living in the present, that’s when we change.

The decision to be present, not relying on the past, does not mean you are done caring, but rather that holding on to some pieces of that history has started to cost a bit more than they give in return. And when that moment comes, you don’t move blindly, or carelessly, but intentionally. You carry what has shaped you, but you no longer let it restrain you. Not because the past didn’t matter, but because it’s no longer where you belong, or can be.

And it wasn’t for nothing - the best part of it all. The weight you carried wasn’t random. It came from something real — grief, hardship, love. It was the sum of many restless nights, unspoken fears, quiet pains, internal battles, both won and lost. That weight shaped you.

So when the time comes, let it go — not with regret, but with reverence.

And when you march forward, do it with your head high, for even the longest tunnels open to the brightest skies.