That's not the way I understand it. For me it means not allowing others to coerce you into being someone you're not and making conscious decisions about where y

That's not the way I understand it. For me it means not allowing others to coerce you into being someone you're not and making conscious decisions about where you're going and who you're going to be. And yes, "you're perfect, don't change" is a recipe for stagnation, a child should not be told this (if (s)he's perfect, why would (s)he learn anything new or work towards something?)