Often, personal growth also means growing apart from those closest to you.
Moving forward isn't easy. The only way to move forward is to be honest with yourself, and that includes honesty when it comes to your connections. The stronger you become, the more independent you will be. Your greatness will step on some toes, but trust me when I say this—
It isn't your problem.
If you're moving forward, good for you. It isn't your responsibility to appease people who used your dependence on them against you. It isn't fair to let people use you, and it isn't fair to settle for less than what you deserve. Not everyone is in your life to love you—often, people will only try to leech off of you. People will try to control you to compensate for their own lack of self-control. In those situations, there is nothing you can do but try to help. If they don't listen to you, walk away. They aren't your responsibility.
Fear will only limit you. Sometimes, we test the water and get cold feet once we realize how cold it really is. At the end of the day, though, the water is well worth the few seconds of discomfort it will take to adjust to the cold. Stop giving up on your goals so quickly. Instead of testing the waters, it's time for you to jump straight in. It's time for you to say to yourself, "This might be scary, but I know I am capable of succeeding here. This might be unfamiliar at first, but I know I'll be able to adjust. Even if I don't stay in this particular place in my life, I will lose nothing and gain knowledge and strength."
Let go of your fear. Let go of your doubts, and stop obsessing over your failures. Stop telling yourself 'I can't', because guess what? If you don't believe in yourself, the cold, hard truth is that you're probably right. If you don't believe in yourself enough to try in the first place, growth will be impossible. Instead of cultivating a toxic mindset that limits your vision and abuses your soul, I want you to change your perspective. In life, there will be roadblocks and hardships. There will be storms that seem to last forever, and chapters so difficult you'll be tempted to close the book and give up. Listen—nothing can stop someone with a growth mindset from achieving their dreams. When you understand what you are capable of, no one will be able to tear you down. No one will be able to hurt or use you, because you'll never give them permission again.
It all starts with you.
