The Glow-Up Is Real: Facebook Memories Don’t Lie

Every now and then, Facebook Memories show up like that one friend who tells me the truth without warning. One minute I am sipping my Caramel Macchiato, minding my business, and the next, I am staring at a version of myself I probably wouldn't claim in public.

Honestly, sometimes I read my old posts and think,

“Whew… sis. Who. Was. That?”

Not with shame but more like a serious side-eye mixed with gratitude that I have grown past that version of me.

Apparently My Past Self Had No Supervision

Viewing my Facebook Memories feels like flipping through the panicked notes I would have written as a brand-new teacher who showed up on the first day bright-eyed, well-moisturized, and completely unprepared for the classroom chaos waiting behind that door. Some of those old posts read like I wrote them while trying to take attendance, break up a pencil-sharpening line, and stop somebody from stapling their sleeve to the bulletin board. The “lesson plan” was clearly a suggestion, and the self-awareness probably slipped out during homeroom and never returned.

The funny part is that some seasons of my life played out the same way. I was moving through the world like a first-year teacher who thought positive affirmations alone could keep a classroom calm. My emotions were the students who kept asking to go to the bathroom right after recess, my judgment was the kid who wandered the halls without a schedule, and my maturity was Googling “how to get control of your class” behind a stack of ungraded papers. I was making choices that did not match the woman I was becoming, delivering life lessons I barely understood myself, and improvising almost every decision like it counted toward extra credit. And meanwhile, I was online posting opinions like I had a quiet, well-behaved classroom, even though my internal students were climbing the furniture and ignoring every rule I tried to enforce.

That version of me wasn’t “wrong.” She was raw, learning in real time, and doing the best she could with the clarity she had.

Still figuring life out.

Still figuring myself out.

Still pretending I didn’t hear God calling me into ministry and running laps in the opposite direction.

Still learning what leadership, purpose, and wisdom actually require.

Every time I see her, I remember this truth:

I cannot beat myself up over the version of me I outgrew. I can only honor her for surviving long enough for me to step into who I was always called to become.

The Highlight Reel I Didn’t Know I Needed

Right when those Facebook Memories finish giving me the side-eye, it flips the script and starts showing me the highlight reel.

Suddenly I am seeing:

• Accomplishments I forgot about
• Events I led with excellence
• Degrees and certifications earned
• Awards won
• Rooms I influenced
• Obstacles I overcame even when quitting would have been easier

It is like the timeline is saying,

“Hey girl, in case you forgot, you have done some amazing things.”

And just like that, the same memories that made me cringe start reminding me how far I have come.

The Glow-Up Has Layers

Looking back has taught me this:

The messy moments and the major wins can exist at the same time.

They don't compete--they complete the story.

Real maturity isn't in pretending I have always had it together. It's recognizing that I grew AND that I continue to grow.

It's the ongoing journey of:

• Thinking before reacting
• Choosing progress over pettiness 
• Responding with more intention and less impulse
• Showing up as someone who learns from her past instead of repeating it

Every version of me left breadcrumbs.
Some messy.
Some magical.
All necessary.

The Power of Looking Back

If I never look back, I will forget how far I have traveled.
I will forget the challenges that shaped me.
I will forget the strength I didn’t know I had.
I will forget that I evolved through effort and growth.

Looking back reminds me of two things:

1. I have come a long way.
2. I am still growing.

Both matter.

The Real Tea My Memories Spill

The girl I used to be was doing the best she could.
The woman I am now is doing even better.
And the woman I am becoming will look back at today and smile.
I used to be immature in ways I did not even recognize, and I grew.
I have accomplished incredible things, and I still have more to do.

Both are true.
Both deserve acknowledgment.
Both tell the story of a woman evolving on purpose. Go ahead and clock that tea!

So I will keep growing.
Keep learning.
Keep becoming.

And I will let every chapter, even the cringey ones, remind me that my glow-up has always been in motion.

Looking back at these memories also brings two of John Maxwell’s most practical growth principles into focus.

The Law of the Mirror reminds me that I must see value in myself before I can add value to others. These memories show me how much I have matured in how I see myself and how I show up in the world.

The Law of the Ladder teaches that character growth determines the height of my personal growth. Every version of me, from the cringeworthy to the accomplished, has shaped the woman who climbs higher with intention, consistency, and ownership.

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