There is a kind of freedom in knowing that. I, like everyone else, have a past. If you're breathing and alive, you have a past. I've been holding on to these stories for too long, in the hope that maybe they make me special. All they end up doing is tying me down to a story. Which is fucking crazy considering all they manage to do is keep me where I am. Some of these stories might have been great, but I don't care. I have reached an inflection point where the pain of staying the same is far greater than the pain of change. I'm glad that I reached this point, where my suffering has directed me inward to the root cause of that pain: Me.
All that matters to me now is that I move forward, no matter how painful. Let go of all the stories—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm also curious to find out how good I can actually get if I focus on the next step only and do it for the next decade. It's fucking exciting, and there is energy about it. You might be thinking, it does not apply to me. You are right either way. At the same time, I am at a point where the opinion of others really does not matter. Sure, I've said it before, but this time I really don't care. About anyone. It's quite freeing. I'm glad I've allowed myself to feel this way. The truth is I cared too much about what others thought. Don't get me wrong, I care about others; I just don't care about what others think about me. The benefits are quite amazing; I'm able to find authenticity in my words and actions. Did I mention the freedom?
What does matter?
The only thing that matters is what I can do from here on out. How I play the cards I am dealt. There is so much left on the table that I can't see the end of it. All there is to do is walk my path, one step at a time. Let go of all expectations. Now that the expectations of others have been thrown out, all that's left to do is to remove expectations of when something should be achieved. If the pursuit is one of excellence, it's going to take quality effort over time. No beating yourself over small stumbles.
That's all I have to say about that.