Flashback Friday: We All Have A Past But We All Have A Future

DEEP BREATH . 

When a friend of mine posted the picture on the left about 2 months ago, a flood of emotions came over me. I immediately wanted to untag myself. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl in that picture. To be perfectly honest with you, high school was not a great time in my life. I was young, naive, insecure, not sure of myself, and not very confident. I always struggled with my weight and never loved how I looked. Not to mention that my love life was rather interesting and boys have a way of making girls feel all kinds of negative emotions. Being a teenager can be TOUGH. 

I can't help but think of how much I've grown up over the last 15 years. Life has a really interesting way of teaching us lessons. The one that I'll forever be grateful for is the lesson of learning to love myself for ME. Not because of what I look like, how much I weigh, what I have, how much money I make, or who likes me. Learning to truly love yourself because God loves you is such an amazing and powerful experience. I didn't truly learn this lesson until I was about 29. Better late than never, right?! 

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You know, you meet someone in their adult life and you truly have NO idea where they have come from. Don't ever think someone's journey has been easier than your own. We all have a past but we all have a FUTURE!

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I look at the picture on the right and I'm proud of that woman. I'm not ashamed of the woman on the left but I'm so thankful for God's grace and the opportunity to learn how to truly be 

healthy -- from the inside -> out. 

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Instead of untagging myself and being ashamed of that young girl, I took some time to reflect on how I've grown into the woman I am today.

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Don't be ashamed of where you you've been -- be proud of how far you've come!

XO Heather