A New Me is Here

People grow. That’s the truth we often forget when we hold on to old versions of others. We cling to memories and mistakes as if they are permanent markers of someone's identity. But healing happens. Growth happens. And sometimes, it happens quietly, in the dark, away from everyone’s eyes.

I’ve changed. Not just on the surface, but in the way I carry myself, in the way I think, in how I show up for life. I am no longer trying to survive the same pain or fit into places I have outgrown. So please, delete that old version of me in your head; it expired. I left that person behind for a reason.

The truth is, we all deserve the chance to be seen as who we are now, not who we were when we didn’t know better. We outgrow pain. We learn a new language for love. We stop saying yes just to be liked. We stop apologising for breathing.

Growth doesn’t always look like success. Sometimes it looks like quietly choosing peace. Or walking away. Or finally being honest with yourself. Whatever it looks like, I hope you let people grow. I hope you let yourself grow, too.

-Oluwademilade from MANI