For exactly one day, the sub-title of this blog was "As of January 1, 2011, taking gay to the next level." That's because I knew I wanted to change the direction of my blog to be more positive, more uplifting, more helpful, but I also knew I had nearly two year's worth of posts that may have been something less than that. I guess I thought I had to designate this new era in what I wrote by specifying after this certain date, you would see something different, you would encounter a new me, and none of that should be confused with what came before it or who I am now.
But you know what? Everything I wrote prior to January 2011 is all a part of me, too. And what I wrote previously, while not always positive or inspirational or helpful, was all part and parcel of getting to the place where I am today. Had I not used the opportunity of this blog to work through some of the more difficult thoughts and feelings I'd had for a long time, I would not be in a position to embark on this new path now.
So, a lesson for everyone. Don't deny your past. Dealing with the negative stuff is necessary. You can't skip beyond it and think you've done the hard work making peace with it. Do the hard work. It's necessary. It clears your head. It clears your soul. And, if you commit to it, it will set you on a new path toward self-realization, toward being the best possible version of you.
I'm proud of my past. Why shouldn't I be? It was necessary to get me to where I am today.
I was going through the same thing myself late last year/ early this year. I was cleaning up some of the posts that were mindless quizes and such. I began to contemplate removing some of the old old stuff. It was so far removed from who I am now, and was about to delete one of the posts and I realized that it was my history. It was a reflection of the work I've done on myself and what I've accomplished since. So, I left it, for everyone to see. Not sure how it'll be received, but history is important. Helps you find out where you're going.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the validation on this point, Heather.
ReplyDeleteIn amongst all the posts on "being gay" and "gay relationship," I have 83 posts on writing and creativity. Some people still find these posts and access them, but I've thought they should be removed to keep the theme of my blog consistent. Chris thinks they should go, too. So I'll likely remove them and save them on my hard-drive instead (never throw away anything you write). Lots of work to do that, but it might be worth it.
Thanks again for your ongoing interest and comments. I really appreciate them.