“The stories of our lives, far from being fixed narratives, are under constant revision. The slender threads of causality are rewoven and reinterpreted as we attempt to explain to ourselves and others how we became the people we are.” – Gordon Livingston

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.” – Robert Frost

My biggest lesson from moving out of home: at some stage of our lives, we begin to make the rules. At some stage, nobody will force you to study, sleep, eat or exercise. You get to decide to do whatever you want. You get to define how you spend your days, and consequently how your life will play out.

It means everything we do, good or bad, is our responsibility. Our actions now have serious consequences and we can no longer hide behind others.

It’s simultaneously liberating and terrifying.