Self-Aware...
I think that there’s a point in your life when everything changes - when you understand how to achieve your purpose, what happiness is (and isn’t), who you do (and don’t) want to spend your time with, and you understand what is truly important in life.
That point is when you become self-aware - when you realise that everything external to you is outside your control, that your thoughts are just thoughts, and that you can have and do pretty much anything, provided that you are willing to put in the time and the effort yourself.
Self-awareness doesn’t suddenly make everything easier, or make problems magically disappear, but it does mean that we can start living the life we’re meant to live…