We will all fall and make mistakes, but it’s embracing our imperfections and truly loving who we are (past and all) that sets us on a path of living a fulfilling and happy life.

The moment we stop looking for a parent or a proxy relationship to fulfill us, the sooner we realize that being comfortable with ourselves is the way forward.

When I realized that I needed to first take care of myself and stop using relationships to complete me, things changed in my life.

We will all fall and make mistakes, but it’s embracing our imperfections and truly loving who we are (past and all) that sets us on a path of living a fulfilling and happy life.

we need to do the work to get us to a better place.

And then I learned the secret: I embraced all of who I was. The hatred, the fear, the anxiety, the worry, as well as the love, hopefulness, and joy.

Part of what’s necessary to overcome our past is a belief that we can be happy and that we are worthy of happiness.

we have committed ourselves to doing the work of self-parenting and learning the necessary skills to regulate our emotions,

No matter how much I tried to go back and fix the past by recreating similar relationships in the present, nothing could heal the pain that I had lived through.