who have you decided to be?

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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It’s hard to look back on how many years I spent living my life for other people.  I made my mistakes, yes, but I focused so much energy on pleasing the people around me that I often got lost in the mix.

The choices I made about what to study, where to live, and what to do with my time.

The paths I didn’t take or interests I didn’t pursue.  Things that I genuinely loved but other people thought were flighty or insubstantial, so I let them go.

I finally understand what people mean when they say reaching middle age brings freedom, a solid sense that my choices are my own and that only I’m responsible for the path I take.  My decisions.  My life.  The person I’m meant to be.

Yes, my forties are definitely a change for the better.