Man… the way you put everything into words — the crisis, the growth, the whole journey — it really resonates. That line about losing a version of yourself so a better stranger can walk out of the mirror? Perfectly written.
It’s wild how identity keeps shifting like that. Like, just when you think you’ve figured yourself out, life hands you a new version to meet.
Curious — do you feel like the version of you now is someone you chose to be, or someone life pushed you into becoming?
Such a good read. So raw yet so profound. I'm always in awe at how you lead with vulnerability. And while we're at it, I can testify that I was one of the doubters that you're not an extrovert first but reading this gives me such a clear understanding hahaha.
Nathan, you write with such rawness, vulnerability, and a sense of transformation that’s almost palpable. As someone who has been in your shoes and experienced plenty of identity crises, with time, I eventually realized that our identities as humans are ever-changing — this is a given! We can't expect ourselves to gain new perspectives, learn new skills, adopt better habits, become better people, etc. without leaving an old version of ourselves behind.
The process of shedding these old selves and growing into something else can often feel like a betrayal of our past. I love how you explored this tension between heroes and villains. The same hero who once knew exactly what they were meant to be can easily be overwhelmed by the contradictions that arise from new experiences. The duality you describe — the ebb and flow between being caring and retreating into a more “villainous” mindset — is so human. It’s not something to be fixed or avoided, but rather something to be understood, embraced even. I wholeheartedly believe that our villainous moments provide opportunities for us to become even better heroes; it's what has shaped us into empaths, for example.
Thank you for reminding us to accept change as a constant companion.
⸻
Man… the way you put everything into words — the crisis, the growth, the whole journey — it really resonates. That line about losing a version of yourself so a better stranger can walk out of the mirror? Perfectly written.
It’s wild how identity keeps shifting like that. Like, just when you think you’ve figured yourself out, life hands you a new version to meet.
Curious — do you feel like the version of you now is someone you chose to be, or someone life pushed you into becoming?
I’m glad to hear that the hero is back.
Even though you were never gone in my eyes.
Such a good read. So raw yet so profound. I'm always in awe at how you lead with vulnerability. And while we're at it, I can testify that I was one of the doubters that you're not an extrovert first but reading this gives me such a clear understanding hahaha.
beautifully written my friend. proud to call you a brother in arms.
Nathan, you write with such rawness, vulnerability, and a sense of transformation that’s almost palpable. As someone who has been in your shoes and experienced plenty of identity crises, with time, I eventually realized that our identities as humans are ever-changing — this is a given! We can't expect ourselves to gain new perspectives, learn new skills, adopt better habits, become better people, etc. without leaving an old version of ourselves behind.
The process of shedding these old selves and growing into something else can often feel like a betrayal of our past. I love how you explored this tension between heroes and villains. The same hero who once knew exactly what they were meant to be can easily be overwhelmed by the contradictions that arise from new experiences. The duality you describe — the ebb and flow between being caring and retreating into a more “villainous” mindset — is so human. It’s not something to be fixed or avoided, but rather something to be understood, embraced even. I wholeheartedly believe that our villainous moments provide opportunities for us to become even better heroes; it's what has shaped us into empaths, for example.
Thank you for reminding us to accept change as a constant companion.
William
Poetic Justice
Amazing as always Nate