People always say “live with no regrets,” and for a long time I tried to force myself into that mindset. I thought if I convinced myself I had no regrets, maybe the past would not hurt as much. But the truth is, there are things I wish never happened.

Still, wishing the past was different does not change the fact that it made me pay attention. It pushed me to see myself more clearly, because I refused to stay the same person who allowed them.

Growing up, I never liked being told what to do. That independence showed in the choices I made, thinking I understood everything I was doing. And because of that, life taught me through experience.

Healing is not about erasing what happened. It is about finally understanding it. It is about taking the truth from what happened without letting it carry any power over who you become next, and choosing to walk forward with clarity instead of shame.

Healing is choosing to meet yourself with honesty instead of avoidance. It is admitting what hurt without letting it control the story you write now. I used to run from the parts of myself I did not understand. Now I face them with clarity. Growth is not the pretty version of healing people talk about. It is the version where you stop lying to yourself, take accountability, and choose to move in a way that honors the person you are becoming.