To Have a Life Span of Self-respect

I often look back on the younger self of my memories and turn my thoughts away in shame, embarrassment or something close to disgust. What I must understand is that all parts of my life are valuable. I have to give respect to myself even when I was going through my worst. Even when I was awkward, annoying, shallow, or overly confidant. I'm not perfect now, and that's exactly the point I'm getting to. Even though I am not perfect now, I still generally like the individual I have grown to become. It was all the lesser versions of myself that made me who I am today. Chances are, I'm going to get older and look back on my life and remember when I was 18 (the age I am now) and think, God what a silly girl I was. But because I like who I am now, I hope I also give enough credit to myself to know that I am always learning, and to like who I was and understand that all parts of my life are necessary. Id also like to ponder on another point, being that, most often people don't change as much as they think they have. I was overly confidant as a young girl and I'm bound to be overly confidant still. It will only take a year or two before I notice it, I'm sure. People don't change, which means, I most likely still have many of those wretched traits that once were so prevalent in my personality. If I'm going to have good self esteem and self respect, I have to understand that nothing about me was or is bad, there are only parts of my life that need improvement, and I wont stop improving myself until the day I die.