Truths and Myths of Growing Through Life

I’ve been thinking lately... maybe growing through life isn’t just about surviving or getting things right. Maybe it’s about questioning the stories we’ve been told about what life “should” be.

Because somewhere between what’s true and what’s just a myth, that’s where we actually live.

Disclaimer: I’m not an expert in life, psychology, or philosophy. I'm just someone still figuring things out, sharing what I’ve learned (and unlearned) along the way. Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t.

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So here are a few things life has been teaching me or at least, trying to.

1. Life takes as much as we gain. — Truth or Myth?

Some days, it feels painfully true. You finally get the job, the house, the peace you prayed for and suddenly, you’re too busy, too tired, or too stretched to enjoy it. Life feels like a constant trade: one good thing for another that quietly fades away.

And maybe that’s where the myth hides, in thinking that life is keeping a strict balance sheet, taking something every time it gives. Because sometimes, it’s not about loss at all. It’s about making room.

We can’t hold everything, all the time. As we grow, we naturally outgrow some things: people, routines, even parts of ourselves. Life doesn’t always take; sometimes it just asks us to release. And what it gives in return is often something deeper: peace, clarity, purpose.

So maybe this one’s partly true, but not as cruel as it sounds. Life takes, yes — but only what no longer fits who we’re becoming.

2. Life humbles us as we age. — Truth or Myth?

Mostly true and a little bittersweet.

When we’re young, we think we’ve got everything mapped out: where we’ll be, who we’ll love, how things will go. But as the years unfold, life shows us that plans are fragile and people change including us.

Life humbles us through missed chances, through “almosts,” and through lessons we never asked for but needed anyway. It teaches us that control is temporary, and that grace is stronger than pride.

But here’s the myth: that humility comes automatically with age. It doesn’t. Some people get older but stay closed off, still fighting to be right instead of learning to be kind. True humility isn’t about how long you’ve lived; it’s about how deeply you’ve paid attention.

So yes, true — but earned. Life humbles you not by breaking you, but by showing you that you don’t always need to win to be at peace.

3. Life heals with time. — Truth or Myth?

Oh, this one’s tricky and maybe the most comforting myth we hold on to. People say, “Time heals all wounds,” as if waiting is enough to stop the ache. But healing doesn’t happen just by counting days.

Time gives space, yes. It softens the edges of pain. But real healing? The kind that frees you asks for more. It asks for honesty, for facing what hurts, for forgiving what you can’t change.

Life heals us not through time alone, but through moments within that time: small joys, unexpected laughter, a sunrise that reminds you the world keeps turning. Healing isn’t a straight road; it’s a slow walk where you learn to carry the memory differently.

So, this one’s a myth with truth hiding underneath. Time helps, but healing is something we live, not wait for.

4. Life makes us grow through what we go through. — Truth or Myth?

This one sounds beautiful and it can be true. Every pain, every mess, every moment of “I don’t know if I can do this” can lead to growth. But not automatically.

That’s where the myth sneaks in. Just going through something doesn’t mean we’ve learned from it. Sometimes we repeat the same mistakes, run into the same walls, because we never stopped to ask, “What is life trying to teach me here?”

Growth happens when we choose to paus, to look at the hard thing and say, Okay, I get it now. I see what this was for. And sometimes, growth looks quiet: setting boundaries, letting go, forgiving yourself for not knowing better.

So yes, true — but only if we allow it. Life hands us the lesson, but we’re the ones who decide whether to study it or skip it.

5. Life says it’s too late to start over. — Truth or Myth?

That one’s a complete myth.

It’s never too late. It might feel late like the world moved faster than you did but it’s never too late.

Starting over doesn’t erase what you’ve lived through; it transforms it. Every mistake, every detour, becomes part of the story that makes your next beginning richer.

Life doesn’t close doors for good. Sometimes it just waits for you to knock again differently this time, with what you’ve learned.

You can rebuild your peace at 30, start a dream at 40, fall in love again at 50. There’s no expiry date for becoming who you’re meant to be.

So no, it’s not too late. It never was. Life’s only waiting for you to believe that, too.

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Growing through life isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about being honest enough to ask, “Is this truth — or just something I’ve been told to believe?”

The more I live, the more I see that life is both messy and magical, harsh and kind. It teaches us through truths that ground us and myths that challenge us to grow.

So if you’re still somewhere between the learning and the healing, between what was and what could be, that’s okay. You’re right on time.  MESSY E.

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