She Matures -

The final stage of her maturation was the acceptance of complexity. When she was younger, things were black or white—people were either "good" or "bad."

She hadn't become a different person; she had simply become a more concentrated version of herself. She no longer needed the world to be loud for her to feel heard. She was, at last, her own home. she matures

The first sign of her maturation was the death of the "fawn" response. One Tuesday, a colleague asked her to take on a third project that clearly belonged to someone else. In the past, Clara would have smiled, said "No problem!" and stayed up until 2:00 AM crying over a spreadsheet. The final stage of her maturation was the

She started eating at restaurants alone, not because she had to, but because she enjoyed her own company. She stopped asking, "What will they think?" and started asking, "How do I feel?" She realized that is a fixed deposit, not a fluctuating stock market. Phase 3: Embracing the "And" She was, at last, her own home