What a privilege it is to recognise that you've changed.

There is something deeply human about outgrowing what once felt right: a belief we held, a role we occupied, a relationship we understood in a particular way, a version of success we spent years working towards or simply an idea of who we thought we should become.

We need to be careful though with the language of outgrowing. Not everything we move beyond was a mistake, not everything we reconsider was necessarily wrong for us. Sometimes our earlier choices reflected our genuine values, needs and circumstances at that particular moment in our lives and sometimes those circumstances change: we gain experience, our understanding develops, our priorities shift, we begin to question expectations that once seemed entirely natural and what once felt appropriate may no longer reflect who we are becoming.

Authenticity is not necessarily about remaining consistent with who we have always been.

It may involve developing the awareness to recognise when something has changed, the discernment to understand what that change means and the courage to consider our choices. Recognising that something no longer fits doesn't mean we must immediately abandon it. Our lives are interconnected with other people, responsibilities and commitments and meaningful change often requires patience, consideration and sometimes difficult conversations.

But we can honour the choices that brought us here without believing they must determine every choice that comes next. That is one of the privileges of being human.