Forgive yourself. You are not the same person from a decade or two ago. Your heart has grown.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.  Perhaps, it’s an inevitable side effect of maturing – I view things differently. I feel things more intensely.  

Nod your head if you’ve caught yourself thinking – I can’t believe I said that – I can’t believe I did that – I wish I can take it back – That’s not who I am now.

If you have, consider it a gift.  It means your heart has grown.

Most of us are not the same person from a decade or two ago.  Along with the physical signs of maturing – we have an opportunity to evolve into a better version of ourselves.

In my humble opinion.

I grew up in a small town in the 80s and 90s.  I am forever grateful for growing up where I did, when I did, and how I did.  I am grateful for my family, my friends, and all the wonderful memories of my childhood and youth.  Like many, I moved away for University, and later to pursue my career. But my small town will always be Home to me.

I share this to add some context because growing up in a small town – as great as it was – also meant my world was small.  

I simply wasn’t exposed to other ethnicities, languages, cultures, religions, sexual orientations – beyond the one international exchange student each year, beyond Catholic and Protestant, beyond English, beyond heterosexual.

My understanding of diversity was limited to what I had access to. Keep in mind, this was before the Internet, Email, Google, Social Media, etc.

Everyone looked like me, sounded like me.  

You get the point. 

I simply didn’t have access.

I was ignorant. Not ignorant in a rude sense, ignorant from a lack of knowledge and understanding. Inevitability I created the narrative to match my visible surroundings.  My visible range was small, and so my narrative, by default, was also small.  

Fast forward 25+ years, I am now globally-connected, globally-present. My community’s boundaries are fluid. Moving with me.  

I am now a global citizen. I just happen to reside in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

My understanding of people, relationships, and cultures have expanded.  As my visible range broadened, so too has my understanding, which continues to shape my narrative.

Whether it is in a classroom, at a dinner table, workplace, on social media, or as part of my travel destinations – my acquired knowledge and broadened perspective have evolved with my lived experiences.  

I am evolving into a better and more informed version of myself. My mind and heart have grown – continue to grow.

I have forgiven myself for anything I have said or done in my youth that does not reflect the person I am today.

I was evolving.

We are all flawed. Every one of us – it’s one thing we all have in common.

I am not the same person from a decade or two ago. I’d venture to guess, neither are you.

Forgive yourself.

I have.

I’ve forgiven myself because I know with every fibre of my being, the person I am now is constantly evolving.

I am evolving to be my best version.

With gratitude,

Nicole Osmond

Customer Success Coach

As a Customer Success Coach and 3 X business owner, I am living my passion and helping companies succeed by cultivating a customer committed mindset.

A Writer with Heart – I weave words together to stimulate, elevate, and motivate. My blog is my canvas to share my ‘experience nuggets’ with you! Thanks for stopping by! With gratitude, always – Nicole