I saw this post on Facebook this morning and felt like commenting on it. 

The post read:
"It doesn't matter who you used to be; what matters is who you decide to be today.
You are not your mistakes.  You are not your mishaps.  You are not your past.  You are not your wounds."

Well, I couldn't disagree more.

You ARE your mistakes.  You ARE your mishaps.  You ARE your past and you ARE your wounds.  These are the life experiences that have helped you learn and form who you are today.  They are not to be disregarded.  They are to be reviewed and explored and used to grow into the person you really want to be. 

I spoke once of a grade school friend who I hurt deeply and how awful I felt.  I learned from that experience not to intentionally hurt people. 

I've blogged about the wounds I have from my mother's upbringing.  I learned what kind of parent I wanted to be.

Don't dismiss your life experiences and mistakes as though they never happened and feel you need to start with a blank slate.  On the contrary, use them to learn and grow and become the person you want to be.  Someone once said, 'No one gets through this life without pain.  It's what we DO with our pain that defines our life.  It doesn't mean you have to dwell on them.  But  rather, determine how you will learn from your mistakes, mishaps past and wounds to become the best you EVER!