“We are the sum total of our experiences. Those experiences – be they positive or negative – make us the person we are, at any given point in our lives. And, like a flowing river, those same experiences, and those yet to come, continue to influence and reshape the person we are, and the person we become. None of us are the same as we were yesterday, nor will be tomorrow.” ― B.J. Neblett
NOTE: We can’t run away. All of our experiences follow us wherever we go. We are who we are because of what we’ve experienced. If we examine our negative experiences, we don’t have to like them, but they shaped us. I have a friend who grew up in an emotionally abusive family. My friend shared that she and her husband promised each other they would never emotionally abuse their children. She learned from her negative experience and used it to shape her parenting and relationships with other people. When we can look at ourselves in the mirror and say, “I love you and everything you’ve been through. You are simply amazing. Look at you now,” we’ll have met someone special.