Dear past self,

Dear past self,

 

To the version of me who kept me safe...

Thank you.

 

I mean it. Thank you, with so much gratitude in my heart.

You have been with me the past 22 years, through it all.

 

I am certain you always had the best intentions for me.

You wanted to keep me safe and you did.

But in keeping me safe, you also kept me small.
You stopped me from taking the risks I needed to grow.

You protected me from failure… but also from becoming who I was meant to be.

This way of living no longer serves me.
It’s no longer conducive to what I am setting out to accomplish.

While I am safe, this version keeps me from the necessary risks that my dreams demand.

It holds me back from stepping into spaces where rejection and the unknown are possible but also where growth lives.

It’s time for me to obliterate the shell you created for me.

It’s time to take bigger risks.
It’s time to take bold chances.

We won’t meet again.
This chapter is closed.

It’s time to say goodbye.
I am stepping into something bigger.
And I will forever be grateful for you.

With love,
Ethan