--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who I am now is who I was before. The…" description: "\"“Who I am now is who I was before. The three years between, they were the aberration. You wouldn't recognize the person I became during that lost time...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/nora-roberts-128_abuse_who-i-am-now-is-who-i-was-before-the-thr_2700319.jpg" --- # Who I am now is who I was before. The three years between… ![“Who I am now is who I was before. The three years between, they were the aberration. You wouldn't recognize the person I became during that lost time. I barely do.” quote by Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/nora-roberts-128_abuse_who-i-am-now-is-who-i-was-before-the-thr_2700319.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/nora-roberts-128_abuse_who-i-am-now-is-who-i-was-before-the-thr_2700319.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/nora-roberts-128_abuse_who-i-am-now-is-who-i-was-before-the-thr_2700319.jpg) > ““Who I am now is who I was before. The three years between, they were the aberration. You wouldn't recognize the person I became during that lost time. I barely do.”” [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal growth can feel like a temporary deviation before returning to one’s true self. **In simple terms:** Lost time reshapes you. Key Takeaway Embrace change as part of self. Themes identity growth time Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career changes - personal crises - rehabilitation Key Concepts psychology life narrative Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of yourself have you rediscovered? - How do you integrate past experiences? A Different Perspective Self-perception may be distorted after trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Lost time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You're surprised by something, but you don't really know what surprised you; you recognize someone, but you don't really know what cues cause you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/you-re-surprised-by-something-but-you-don-t-really-know-what/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Want to recognize a person's character? so give him mightiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/want-to-recognize-a-person-s-character-so-give-him-mightiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have a photograph of myself when I was 2 years of age, and I don't recognize the person in the photograph. She doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-have-a-photograph-of-myself-when-i-was-2-years-of-age-and-i-don-t/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [Every small group has at least one 'difficult' person in it. If you don't immediately recognize who that person is -- it's probably you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/every-small-group-has-at-least-one-difficult-person-in-it-if-you-don/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Some things don't last forever, but some things do. Like a good song, or a good book, or a good memory you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/some-things-don-t-last-forever-but-some-things-do-like-a-good-song-or/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I recognize the person that wanted to help people, working hard - naively maybe - to make the world a better place. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-edmondson/i-recognize-the-person-that-wanted-to-help-people-working-hard/) [Sarah Edmondson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-edmondson/) > [If in the darkness of ignorance, you don’t recognize a person’s true nature, look to see whom he has chosen for his leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/if-in-the-darkness-of-ignorance-you-don-t-recognize-a-person-s-true/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“What daily life is like for “a multiple” Imagine that you have periods of “lost time.” You may find writings or drawings which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-miller/what-daily-life-is-like-for-a-multiple-imagine-that-you-have-periods/) [Alison Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-miller/) > [ “From 1992 to 1997, TAT \[Treating Abuse Today\] under my editorship published several articles by a number of respected professionals who seriously questioned the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-calof/from-1992-to-1997-tat-treating-abuse-today-under-my-editorship/) [David L. 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I just like pining for lost times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whit-stillman/for-me-the-present-is-a-golden-era-that-s-the-greatest-golden-era/) [Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whit-stillman/) > [Lost is the time that you don't spend for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torquato-tasso/lost-is-the-time-that-you-don-t-spend-for-love/) [Torquato Tasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torquato-tasso/) ## More by Nora Roberts > [“Why stop now? Seduce me, Brian.I dare you." "I've always found it hard to turn aside a dare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/why-stop-now-seduce-me-brian-i-dare-you-i-ve-always-found-it-hard-to/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Flowers that had bloomed brilliant from spring through autumn blackened under the killing frost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/flowers-that-had-bloomed-brilliant-from-spring-through-autumn/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“He's back in Maine now.She did say he badgered her with questions. Of course, she didn't have the answer until she spoke to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/he-s-back-in-maine-now-she-did-say-he-badgered-her-with-questions-of/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Every professor worth his PhD should have a fireplace in his study.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-professor-worth-his-phd-should-have-a-fireplace-in-his-study/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Sorry, bad wing." When Theo kissed him, surprise and pleasure flustered him. He couldn't remember the last time this boy, this young man, had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/sorry-bad-wing-when-theo-kissed-him-surprise-and-pleasure-flustered/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Because it's hard not to matter, even to someone you dislike.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/because-it-s-hard-not-to-matter-even-to-someone-you-dislike/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“No point in wishing for what you can't have. - Blair What's the point in wishing for what you can and do? - Larken”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/no-point-in-wishing-for-what-you-can-t-have-blair-what-s-the-point-in/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Grayson: Fiction is just a lie anyway. Brianna: But it's not - it's a different kind of truth - it would be your truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/grayson-fiction-is-just-a-lie-anyway-brianna-but-it-s-not-it-s-a/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys." "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-going-to-make-a-confession-then-i-remembered-i-don-t-make-them/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I've wanted to be with you when I didn't have the right to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-ve-wanted-to-be-with-you-when-i-didn-t-have-the-right-to/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [You can't write well what you don't read for pleasure. If it doesn't entertain you, it's not going to entertain anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-write-well-what-you-don-t-read-for-pleasure-if-it-doesn-t/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [You can't edit a blank page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-edit-a-blank-page/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“There was a boy down at the stables." She laughed suddenly with her back comfortably nestled against Grant's chest. "Oh,Lord,he was a bit like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/there-was-a-boy-down-at-the-stables-she-laughed-suddenly-with-her/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Some people refuse to take the next step. You could refuse to take what you wanted most, because you're afraid someday you might lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/some-people-refuse-to-take-the-next-step-you-could-refuse-to-take/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Oh, i'm going to kick his ass, and when i'm done, i'm going to squeeze his balls blue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/oh-i-m-going-to-kick-his-ass-and-when-i-m-done-i-m-going-to-squeeze/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) [Explore all 1,138 Nora Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. 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When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. 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