8. Stop holding grudges/get closure on any past unhappiness/let go of the past

This may be the single most difficult thing I did so far. While guarding my heart was something that was difficult for someone who grew up with a huge void in her heart, I was vulnerable and prone to fall deeply into trusting and depending on people who could not promise forever. Family members, past boyfriends, friends who turned their back, coworkers who used me to their advantage, whomever it may have been, took a part of me and my happy memories and turned it into something that wanted to be forgotten and forced it to be repressed. Although every scar is yet to be healed, I feel a lot of my grudges or past traumas have been let go. I deemed my mental health more important and precious over my grudges. I did not want to be distressed over past troubling events at the expense of my psychological well-being. I had to come to the realization that the past shaped and formed who I was, taught me great lessons in life, created tremendous capacity for recovery and growth, and now, I am strong enough to mobilize myself for healing and recovery. Moreover, I now have a keen eye to preventable troubles, gaining wisdom for choices and decisions once made without consequences in mind. I had to take proactive initiatives to reintegrate myself and my values in a new way, incorporating a deeper meaning to my goals, commitments, and purpose in life. And it made all the difference.