Between Who I Was and Who I Am Becoming

Self & Identity series

I live in this space a lot—the space between. Between the girl I used to be and the woman I am becoming. Between the expectations I carried and the freedom I’m trying to claim. Between the fears that used to control me and the courage I’m learning to trust.

Who I was… she learned to survive. She learned to hide, to shrink, to apologize for existing too loudly or too differently. She learned to measure herself by everyone else’s standards. She learned to put the world first and herself somewhere at the bottom of the list.

Who I am becoming… she is messy, yes, but alive. She is loud, unapologetic, willing to take up space even if it makes others uncomfortable. She is learning that her worth doesn’t come from labels, from perfection, from fitting in. She is discovering that the real work isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving on her own terms.

The space between them isn’t always easy. Some days I stumble, I trip back into old patterns, I forget how far I’ve come. But it’s also the most sacred place I inhabit—the place where transformation happens. Where old fears meet new possibilities. Where grief and hope coexist.

I’m learning to sit here without rushing. To honor who I was while nurturing who I am becoming. To remember that becoming is not a destination—it’s the space I live in, breathe in, and claim as my own.