what part of me is still negotiating with the past for permission to live freely and what truth would collapse that negotiation if i let it speak

It's the part of me that wants to keep my childhood dreams alive. Often times, our childhood dreams are gone and fading as we age, but there are dreams that we hold on for so long because those dreams are what defines as us as a child, and that those dreams are what formed our passion back then. But then the truth is, we're all changing as humans, and that our passion and our dreams can change too, especially when we are so vulnerable towards failure. But I'd like to think of it as redirection, that we are all meant to explore our lives and experience anything for better or for worse.

I think it's important for people to recognize that our past does not define our futures, but our past form the lessons for our presents, and that the present is what creates the future.