This past year, more than ever, I stopped trying to prove myself (to myself) or live up to what I thought was expected of me. I started listening inward. Like really listening. I gave myself the gift of “feeling heard”.

You might not have called it grief—but it can feel like a loss all the same. This reflection explores the experience of losing who you were, and how sharing that space with someone else can begin to change how you carry it.

A childhood belief can quietly shape how we show up in life and relationships. Here’s what happened when I uncovered one I carried for 57 years.