What I Love and Have Learnt Before Hitting 30
They say you don't start finding yourself until 30. Well I'm not quite there yet but I'm half a year away. If someone had told me this 5 years ago I would've told you that I learnt to love myself and knew who I was.
Maybe they were right though, age is simply just a number and we all know people that seem much older than they are and older people that we would think would know better. In saying this, I do feel like things somehow make more sense than they did ten, five or even a year ago. Throughout my personal journey, here is what I have loved and learnt before hitting the ripe age of 30.
1) The realisation that every heartbreak endured made me who I am now
As much as some of the events in the past were things I would rather not live through again, looking back, I now see how those events have strengthened me and made me a better person. To be honest, it sucks that we have to go through pain and loss to grow but at the end of the day, evaluating who we are right now to the person we were before any of those circumstances happened, I have to say I wouldn't change a thing.
2) Watching the people around you follow their dreams
It makes my heart sing to see the people I care about do things that feed their soul. When someone can jump out of their comfort zone, break from the norm and go after their dreams, it literally is something brings me to a loss of words. Being around the age of 30, most people are settling down with kids and families if they hadn't already or chasing after goals they had always dreamed of.
At this age, most of us have been through some painful break ups so It takes a lot of courage to open up to someone again and be vulnerable. It also takes a lot of determination to chase after a goal when it comes to your passions. It makes me so happy to see my loved ones find someone that truly makes them happy and also to see them take that risk and chase their dreams.
3) You realise that the best time spent is enjoying the simple things in life
Gone are the party days. Hangovers hit you harder than they used to and your whole weekend is wasted feeling sick or unproductive. Give me a campfire, a good restaurant, an amazing home cooked meal, a few beverages or some amazing company and I am set.
It is so much better for your pocket, your health and your soul. Gone are the days of hitting the clubs until daylight, hating on yourself for the money you had spent and the headache the next day. If I do find myself out, I almost always regret it the next day and who wants to feel that?
4) You understand that people come and go from your life and you start to see who really is genuine
I have had so many friends that were always around and the moment a boy stepped into their life or a new career progressed, I am the one getting ghosted. I have also had friends in my life that have been there for me single, taken, broke, successful and through thick and thin.
I don't give my heart easily but I can easily determine who is there to fill a void or if you are someone that truly wants to form a bond and genuinely cares how I am. They are the people I want to keep in my life. There may not be many but quality is always better than quantity.
5) You realise that life can be taken away from you any moment
In my eyes, 30 is still quite young, there is still so much more to live. Yet I haven't even hit 30 and I have lost so many friends and family unexpectedly. Some of them I feel were taken too early. It just makes me realise that life can be gone at any moment. So yes I will say what I think, do what I want and make the most of the time I have.
I have learnt that the little things are what matters. I spend most of my downtime chasing waterfalls, going on picnics, lying on the beach, hiking, exploring, learning more about others and just spending time with genuine people. I always try to let the people in my life know just how much they mean to me. Maybe because I haven't done in the past and never got the chance to tell them and now I feel I have to let everyone know just how much I appreciate them. I don't know but it can't be a bad thing right?
Life is a journey. It is never about the destination. We sometimes forget that and forget to appreciate what we have now and who we have now. Age is just a number. Life is a constant learning curve. I must say as messed up as it can be, it is also the most beautiful blessing.
