I feel kind of liberated and empowered ...and feel good about having let go a bit of my 'goody-two-shoe-personality' !
I like the above statement a lot. This is exactly how we turn our screw ups to our advantage and kick the ass of guilt and self-recrimination before it even gets a foothold.
Embrace the feeling of liberation, cinders. Make it work for you.
Let me just throw in one disclaimer though: Don't let it make a "loose" woman outta you - that's not where the power is. The power is in having realized that you crave companionship and after having gone about getting it the wrong way, you will now set out to find it in a more healthy manner. Been there, girl. My hat's off to you. You turned it around quick, too. Good job.