Lessons Learned

“Made more than my fair share of the same mistakes. Bridges burned and lessons learned, a few things that I can’t change. Some apologies are way past overdue. So this one’s for you.” -Luke Combs

Rissa Torres
Nov 7 · 2 min read

The past couple of years have been both empowering and humbling. Growing pains are a bitch, but I’d rather go through the uncomfortable phases of growth than stay stagnant and stuck in life.

I think one of the hardest things for me so far has been to take accountability for my actions while trying not to beat myself up for those mistakes. I have made so many poor decisions the past couple of years because I was suffering from mental illness while processing trauma and unfortunately, a good amount of people got caught in the mix of that.

And while it’s been humbling to recognize that I was wrong and that my actions were not justified regardless of how much pain I went through, it’s still a struggle to not overstep that line of beating myself up for it.

At the end of the day, I’m only human and the only way I’m going to learn is by making mistakes. But fuck, I wish I didn’t hurt as many people along the way, as I did. Yet, knowing that I’m able to recognize my mistakes and take back control of my life gives me a sense of empowerment.

I know better now. I’m able to navigate through my journey with knowledge gained and I have the tools to differentiate when I’m transferring emotions rather than addressing a situation at hand between me and another person.

Gaining all of these tools and wisdom from my past gives me confidence on my journey moving forward. Even though the road was rocky getting there, I’m arriving, nonetheless.

If you’re reading this and you’re one of those individuals who may have gotten the short end of the stick from me, just know it wasn’t intentional and my actions came from a place of fear and pain. Oh, how different things would be if I could go back in time and tell my younger self what I know now.💞

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade