You’re allowed to like who you’re becoming more than who you were.

Loyalty to an older version of yourself can quietly turn into an obligation, as though changing were a betrayal of the person everybody got used to. You are allowed to prefer the current one. Growing out of a self is not a criticism of it, and liking where you are now does not mean the earlier years were wasted.

Say one thing out loud that you like about who you are now and did not have two years ago. If somebody keeps relating to an older version, tell them plainly what has changed.