It’s about to be 30 years since I busted into this world.

There’s this thing in society about turning 30 where it’s supposed to be bad.

“UGH…..THIIIIRTYYYY!???? I’m so old!”
It’s a mourning period for lots of people as they say good-bye to their twenties and press into the next phase of life. The apparently old, miserable, dreaded phase where there’s a godforsaken 3 in the beginning of your age. And then it just gets worse from there.

Nope. I refuse!

Every day has something in it worth celebrating, but turning 30 gives me a little something extra!

It feels like I have lived 30 lifetimes in these 30 years. There was a time I didn’t expect myself to make it to this birthday. My daily prayer was, “Dear God, please just let me grow old.” That’s still my prayer.

I want to see as many birthdays as I can. There’s a lot of life left to live and I truly believe my 30’s are going to be the best decade of my life so far, and the beginning of the best of everything.

Relative to life, 30 is actually SO young. I’m aware that turning 30 doesn’t suddenly make me oh so wise, but I have lived a lot of life in these 30 years and wanted to share just a few of the life lesson nuggets I’ve gathered along the way. Some of this is stuff I have finally gotten, and some is stuff I get most of the time but still have to work on. This isn’t a complete list to be sure, but it covers some of the biggies.

So without further adieu, I give you 30 life lessons from my 30 years of life.

1. Not everyone will like you, and that’s okay.
2. You can disagree with people and still love them.
3. Be authentically you; flaws and all. Your flaws are what make you beautiful and unique.
4. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
5. Grudges and resentments only cage you in and age you prematurely.
6. You are not God. (Thank God).
7. Sometimes letting go is much harder than holding on; but sometimes it is necessary.
8. In life, better often does not mean easier.
9. Love people. When they least deserve it, that’s when they need it the most. Love them. (Allow others to love you when you least deserve it too.)
10. Have boundaries. Loving people does not mean you have to allow them to destroy you.
11. If you don’t love and respect yourself first, others won’t either.
12. Quit tearing yourself apart, both out loud and silently. Your children are watching and listening.
13. Treat yourself with the same kindness and mercy as you do your best friends.
14. Let things go. Carrying everything around becomes too heavy. Let it go.
15. Negative emotions are not bad. They are there for a reason and we need to pay attention to them just as much as the positive ones. Embrace your feelings. All of them.
16. When life gets hard, lean in.
17. The only way out is through. This applies to almost everything.
18. Don’t change yourself, your morals, your values, or your character for anyone. (Unless of course changing would make you better; then by all means, work on it).
19. Pray, play, sing, dance, and laugh as often as possible.
20. Quit worrying about what everyone else thinks.
21. Exercise and take care of yourself.
22. Enjoy the little things. They really are the big things.
23. Quit obsessing about stupid, toxic, unnecessary things and people.
24. Live an honest life. It’s where you’ll find freedom.
25. Hug the people you love as often as you can, and say “I love you” every chance you get.
26. Use the past to propel you forward, not to drag you backwards.
27. Family is the most important thing in the world.
28. Be grateful. No matter what is going on, there is always something to be grateful for.
29. Don’t cheapen yourself for anyone unable to see your value.
30. “Where you invest your love, you invest your life.” Invest wisely.

“As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning.” Criss Jami

Here’s to the beginning! Thanks for being here for the journey.