--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had been with a guy for seven years and…" description: "\"I had been with a guy for seven years and I was done with that. I wanted to reinvent my whole life and change my hair - I'd had brown, straight extensi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/429/jillian-hervey-5299_brown_i-had-been-with-a-guy-for-seven-years-an_3001817.jpg" --- # I had been with a guy for seven years and I was done with… ![“I had been with a guy for seven years and I was done with that. I wanted to reinvent my whole life and change my hair - I'd had brown, straight extensions forever - and I just wanted to get rid of that, to shed skin, and really just be independent.” quote by Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/429/jillian-hervey-5299_brown_i-had-been-with-a-guy-for-seven-years-an_3001817.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/429/jillian-hervey-5299_brown_i-had-been-with-a-guy-for-seven-years-an_3001817.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/429/jillian-hervey-5299_brown_i-had-been-with-a-guy-for-seven-years-an_3001817.jpg) > “I had been with a guy for seven years and I was done with that. I wanted to reinvent my whole life and change my hair - I'd had brown, straight extensions forever - and I just wanted to get rid of that, to shed skin, and really just be independent.” [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She sought a fresh start after a long relationship, using a dramatic hairstyle change as a symbolic rebirth toward independence. **In simple terms:** She wanted a new look to mark a new, independent life. Key Takeaway Embrace change to redefine yourself. Themes identity reinvention independence self‑expression Mood determined hopeful Type personal transformative When to use this quote - breakup recovery - career transition - personal branding Key Concepts personal growth symbolic acts psychology of change Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your identity feel stuck? - How can you sustain independence beyond appearance? A Different Perspective A new look alone may not resolve deeper emotional issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-change/) ## Related quotes > [I changed my name when I was 13. I don't know why but it made sense at the time. I wanted another identity. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leos-carax/i-changed-my-name-when-i-was-13-i-don-t-know-why-but-it-made-sense-at/) [Leos Carax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leos-carax/) > [To be completely honest, I didn't want to compete with myself. I wanted to reinvent myself. This seemed like the perfect way to step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marta-kauffman/to-be-completely-honest-i-didn-t-want-to-compete-with-myself-i-wanted/) [Marta Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marta-kauffman/) > [I wanted to reinvent horror comics. 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It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/i-just-wondered-what-a-thing-it-would-be-if-overnight-everything-you/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [I wanted to be rid of him," he says. He raises my chin with his thumb. "But not if it meant being rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/i-wanted-to-be-rid-of-him-he-says-he-raises-my-chin-with-his-thumb/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [I wanted to get rid of the element that had been considered essential in pop music: the voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-wanted-to-get-rid-of-the-element-that-had-been-considered-essential/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## More by Jillian Hervey > [ There's been so many, I think \[Lucas Goodman and I\] share this, but for us, Afropunk was a really big moment just because it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/there-s-been-so-many-i-think-lucas-goodman-and-i-share-this-but-for/) [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) > [My main goal was to not tell my mom anything or anyone anything. Even within our family, we like to do it ourselves, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/my-main-goal-was-to-not-tell-my-mom-anything-or-anyone-anything-even/) [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) > [I think the world tries to put people in a box, like this is the only appropriate way to be beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/i-think-the-world-tries-to-put-people-in-a-box-like-this-is-the-only/) [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) > [It's definitely evolved from where it started - for 'Treat Me Like Fire,' I wanted something extremely wild because I was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/it-s-definitely-evolved-from-where-it-started-for-treat-me-like-fire/) [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) > [To be on stage, to be sharing a stage with Lauryn Hill, Grace Jones, SZA, Kelis, and all these incredible women, I'm like 'When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/to-be-on-stage-to-be-sharing-a-stage-with-lauryn-hill-grace-jones-sza/) [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) > [You're just always growing. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/now-it-s-so-sacred-it-s-how-i-see-the-world-i-can-t-help-but-look-at/) [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) > [In general, I think the best thing to do is to connect with other females. I love meeting other female artists and feeling like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/in-general-i-think-the-best-thing-to-do-is-to-connect-with-other/) [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) > [I quit piano and violin because it felt too rigid. 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