One of the quiet gifts of aging is the realization that you’re becoming more yourself than you’ve ever been. Not less. More.
For so many years, we work hard to become the right version of ourselves—what the world asks for. We become the dependable one, the accomplished one, the one who holds it all together. We strive, we adapt, we perform. We meet the world’s expectations.
But with age comes this remarkable shift. The need to prove or please starts to fall away. The noise begins to quiet. And something beautiful happens in that quiet space: you return to yourself.
The girl who was curious, the man who wanted to paint, the version of you that laughed easily or questioned the rules or believed in something wild and hopeful—that person is still there. Not gone. Just buried, for a while, under the responsibilities and roles of adulthood.
Aging gives us the chance to peel away what’s no longer needed. To stop apologizing for our quirks. To stop pretending we don’t care when we do. Or pretending we do care when we don’t. To stop saying yes when we mean no. It’s the age of the true self emerging—not loud or dramatic, but steady and real.
You don’t have to start over. You’re not becoming someone else. You’re just becoming more of who you were always meant to be. It’s a fabulous freedom.
What part of yourself is resurfacing now—one that feels truer, freer, or more alive than ever before?
This week, would you try something? Do one thing that honors you beneath the roles. Wear the color you love. Call the friend who really sees you. Say no when you mean no. Say yes to something that sparks you. Return to yourself. Ask yourself this: “what’s really true about me?” Then, BE THAT. Be funny, be quiet, be creative, be curious. Be YOU. There’s nobody better qualified, right?
Hit reply and let me know what YOU do to return to yourself, I’d love to hear!!
Be well, reader, and I’ll see you next time.