Learn to realize difference between what someone really is and what they have potential to be. Remove rose-colored glasses. See them for who they are. Don't go by merely their word and don't go by what you feel for them. Don't end up in a dark place due to lapse of understanding.
Don't be hard on yourself. Don't be ashamed of your past journey. You are what you are because of experiences and decisions of past. You would lose your current version if something in past was different. This amazing growth is an outcome of all your mistakes & disappointments.
Don't chase people who show no effort. Don't force someone to stick around. If they don't value you, there will be no respect for you. For any equal connection, effort should be mutual, something real. If you matter, you won't need to convince of your worth.