Embracing an imperfect past is not a form of self-soothing compromise, but the highest form of self-rescue in the present.

Many people believe that growth is a continuous process of cleansing, and they must ruthlessly leave behind the naive, confused, and even a bit awkward version of themselves to prove their current excellence.

I used to believe this wholeheartedly, always thinking that looking back at my past self was full of black history, and wishing I could delete it with one click.

But recently, after seeing everyone sharing about loving your old self, I realized that this kind of thinking is actually a huge internal drain.

The psychological logic behind this is quite simple:

That once clumsy old self, although not very shrewd, carried a kind of boldness and purity that is precisely the most valuable thing we lose in exhaustion now.

Brené Brown's research has shown that true strength is not about being armed to the teeth, but about saying thank you to that vulnerable, imperfect self for holding on at that time.

Try flipping through those old photos, don’t rush to mock the hairstyles or expressions of that time, but look at the light in those eyes—it's your current fuel, not a burden.

When we stop trying to cut off the past, we also stop fearing the future.