Everyone you meet has a past. That past is most likely filled with mistakes. Some of them might even look huge and horrible to an outsider looking in, but a mistake, no matter how big, doesn’t have to define the rest of your life. People grow, people change—just having life experiences guarantees this to be true. The hardest part is realizing that sometimes not everyone will believe these natural changes that happen to you over time. It’s often others who are witnesses to our past that refuse to allow us to grow. To them you might always be seen as the liar, the cheat, the gossiper, or a host of other faults that can be overcome.

Don’t let these people be the reason you give up on bettering yourself. So what if they never believe you. There is no such prerequisite of approval from others required before someone can improve themselves. The world is full of judgment, but when it comes to you, the only judgement that matters is your own. So if you want to wipe some of those slates in your life clean and start over—do it.