30 Lessons at 30

I’m 30!

It’s official! I am no longer in my 20’s and have officially entered my 30’s. Looking back, all I remember hearing about people’s 30th birthday was that they dreaded it. There was this theme growing up, that no one liked aging. As I was inching my way closer to 30, I continuously had this sense of excitement. Something I hadn’t seen portrayed very often.

Your 20’s are complex and complicated. You’re thrust out of childhood and tossed right into adulthood with no real idea of what to do. Looking back at the last 10 years I was really trying to figure it out. Going to school, graduating, getting a job, then switching jobs, then switching jobs again. Officially moving out, and then moving again and then again. Meeting new friends and loosing friends. When life felt so constant for so long, you enter your 20’s and nothing is ever the same. I had to learn that who I was at 18, 19, 20 or 21 wasn’t who I was going to be forever, even though I felt like an absolute at that point. Life is going to happen while your making plans and look completely different from what you could ever dream up. Its a wild and messy journey, but one that needs to happen so you land with two feet on the ground when you get to 30.

I wanted to compile everything I’ve learned over the course of this last decade and share the little nuggets of wisdom I’ve accumulated along the way. 30 lessons for 30 years! If there’s a lesson that you learned that impacted your life in a BIG way that isn’t listed here, comment below and add to the list!

30 Lessons for 30 Years

1. You cannot control other people, but you can control you’re reaction 
2. You’re the creator of your reality 
3. Healthy isn’t only about what food you put in your body, it’s an all encompassing lifestyle that supports your mind, body, spirit and your relationships 
4. I am not anxiety, I just experience the feelings of anxiety 
5. “Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection” – Brené Brown
6. Anger is fear masked – Brene Brown 
7. The building of true & beautiful means the destruction of good enough. Rebirth means death. – Glennon doyle
8. Sometime friends are only there for a certain season, then it’s time to let them go.
9. If you’re feeling frustrated towards someone because you feel like you’re giving them more than your receiving, it’s probably a sign your need to realign your own boundaries 
10. Boundaries are love. They are the blueprint on how to be in relation with you 
11. You don’t need someone else to validate your feelings or experience. 
12. Having expectations of others, only leads to feelings of disappointment. 
13. Change always comes with a period of mourning what once was
14. Change will always feel uncomfortable 
15. It doesn’t matter how you’re related to a person, if they’re not good for you, you’re allowed to let them go. 
16. We all have trauma & trauma is relative to our own lives and experiences 
17. It’s our personal responsibility to work through & heal our trauma
18. Another person expressing how they feel, does not take away from how you feel 
19. You know your body best. Never give up on how you feel just because someone (ie. a doctor) isn’t listening or doesn’t believe you. You have to advocate for your own health. 
20. No one knows what they’re doing in this life. We’re all just winging it pretending that we do
21. When you let go, things fall into place 
22. There is only the present moment 
23. When you’re overwhelmed or unsure on how to proceed, just start with the next right thing. Just focus on the small step in front of you not the whole journey.
24. Experiencing gratitude is one of the most impactful differences you can make for your life. 
25. Life is a journey to be experienced not to be solved – Winnie the Pooh 
26. It’s not the load that weighs you down, it’s how you carry it – C.S. Lewis
27. Trust your gut. 
28. Always keep an open mind 
29. Invest in yourself 
30. Arguments aren’t about who’s right or wrong, they’re about the need to be heard and to listen

2+ Bonus

1. Over prepare then go with the flow – Regina Brett
2. No one can read your mind, just say what you need to say.