a few notes to + from self on our past selves: i reflect a lot on who i wanna be. the person i’m working toward. the problem is it’s often through the lens of who i’ve been. the missteps i’ve made, every time i’ve come up short or late, the havoc of self doubt, all my fears, the sadness i’ve wrestled with so much in life. it’s hard to imagine a new and improved version of ourselves when we only focus on past us. yes, it’s vital to be reflective, to look in the mirror & take stock, to aim to grow & learn from where we’ve been, our experiences good & bad, but it’s entirely another thing to spend too much time locked in on our rearview mirrors. that’s no way to drive. looking back is dangerous, not just for us but for our passengers, and for everyone sharing the road. the problem is somewhere amid all the personal disappointment and feeling that i wasn’t good enough, talented enough, special enough—i started to believe myself, rather than IN myself. except if we’re gonna filter ourselves through all the bad we’ve gotta spend at least as much time considering all the good inside us, too. we’ve gotta remember the times we did “succeed” to whatever degree. celebrate ourselves, not denigrate ourselves. we owe ourselves love, which means we also owe ourselves grace. we’re gonna need to give ourselves some latitude. we can’t get anywhere without it. so analyze and learn from past us, yes. but also heal and let ourselves be excited about now us and new us. we our more than what our brains & hearts sometimes feel. you deserve not to just be better—sometimes you just deserve...better. good health + happiness to us all. love y’all. ✌🏾+ 💛 . . . . #selfcare #writers #justinareynolds #authorsofinstagram #writers #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writersofinsta #authorslife #authors #authorsofinsta #writersofinsta #yabooks #yabookstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #kidlit #writersnetwork #writersofig #authorsofig #books #library #librariansofinstagram #librarians #read #amreading #poc #artistsoninstagram #therapy #notetoself