I Was a Different Person Then…
Dear Reader and Subscribers,
There’s a quiet truth in the quote: “I can’t go back to yesterday… because I was a different person then.” It comes from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a tale of transformation and perspective. And whether we’re tumbling down rabbit holes or simply navigating the shifting landscapes of our lives, one thing is certain—we change.
We don’t always notice it happening. Some transformations are so gradual they’re like watching a tree grow: silent, steady, unnoticed until one day, the branches cast a different shadow. Other changes are more abrupt—a job lost, a child leaving home, a new diagnosis, a divorce, a death. In an instant, the person you were yesterday becomes a memory.
Look back at a photo of yourself from ten, twenty, or thirty years ago. That person smiling at the camera held different hopes, fears, maybe even a different voice or way of walking. She didn’t know what you know now. He hadn’t yet faced what you’ve faced. They hadn’t loved and lost in the way you have, hadn’t laughed that hard or grieved that deeply.
And thank goodness.
Because we are meant to change. We are supposed to evolve.
Think about the beliefs you held five years ago. The goals that once seemed urgent. The people you clung to who are no longer part of your daily world. Change isn’t just natural—it’s necessary. If we were capable of going back to yesterday, would we even fit into our old skin?
Too often, we cling to old versions of ourselves out of guilt or habit. We feel pressured to stay the same for the sake of others, or we mourn the person we used to be because she seemed braver, lighter, less worn down. But who you are now carries the wisdom of survival. This version of you has earned her scars. He has earned his softness.
Change doesn’t always come with fireworks. Sometimes it’s just the quiet realization that you no longer react the same way. That the things that used to make you angry now make you sad. Or that you’ve found strength in solitude when once you feared being alone.
You can’t go back to yesterday because you were a different person then—and that’s okay. In fact, it’s beautiful. You’ve made it through things that the “you of yesterday” couldn’t imagine. You’ve learned. You’ve endured. You’ve grown.
Maybe you’re still growing through something right now. Maybe you feel like you’re in the middle of that metaphorical tunnel—where the light feels far off and the past is blurry behind you. Keep walking. The person you’re becoming is just up ahead, waiting to meet you.
Give yourself permission to honor every version of who you’ve been: the dreamer, the doubter, the warrior, the worrier. Each one played a role. Each one brought you here.
And here is a good place to be.
With warmth and in growth,
Julie Bolejack, MBA - The Mindful Activist
P.S. Take a moment this week to look back—not with regret, but with recognition. Celebrate how far you’ve come. Because the road behind you? It’s paved with courage.
