I hear you. And from the way you’ve expressed, it sounds like you miss your old self—maybe for how alive, youthful, or hopeful it felt. Maybe because that version of you handled life in a way that today feels out of touch.

Believe me, almost all of us reach a point in life where we don’t relate to who we’ve become—because we’re still searching for traces of who we used to be as we stand in front of the mirror, but we end up seeing the effects of time had on us.

That’s why sometimes, we mourn our older self. And that in itself says something important: that version mattered. This kind of reflection is worth exploring more deeply—perhaps in a counseling session—because the discomfort is real.

Other times, the discomfort isn’t just about loss—it’s about comparison. You may feel your current self is more uncertain, more anxious… while the older version felt more playful, more lively. In those moments, we often ask:

“Why am I like this now?”

“Where did that old version of me go?”

“Can I ever get back to it?”

Before diving into how to “get back,” let me ask you gently:

♟️How often do we pause and acknowledge how life played out unexpectedly—and yet we managed?

♟️How often do we express gratitude to both our past and present selves to keep us alive and bring us here—to this moment, where healing and change are possible?

Let me remind you: You’re evolving. And evolution often feels unfamiliar.

So what can we do now?

We can start by acknowledging.

✅ Acknowledge your past self—for doing its best to keep you going.

✅ Acknowledge your present self—for still standing, still trying.

✅ And start working gently toward a future self that you’d be proud to grow into.

Each version of you—past, present, and future—had (and will have) a purpose.

Each version carried a motivation, a goal, and did what it could within the reality it lived.

And now it’s your turn to carry that journey forward.

Let the future version of you look back and say:

“I’m proud of how you picked yourself up even when you felt most unsure.”

I hope this helped you feel a little more connected to yourself. And when you choose to heal through therapy, I’ll encourage you to remember this:

Healing doesn’t mean restoring the exact version of who you once were.

It means reclaiming the parts that still matter—and welcoming the parts you’re becoming.

Because what you are becoming… is already unfolding right now.

You are happening in this moment—gently, bravely, and with more wisdom than you realize!

Let’s explore what a fulfilling self looks like for you now 🌛🌟

Your Psychologist,

Ambidextrous Anmol

P.S. You may like to read this: When You Feel Unappreciated, Read This (Insights from a Psychologist)