I turned 30 this year. As I look back on the last ten years, it was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, epiphanies, changing jobs, changing countries, changing mindsets, and so much more. These are the lessons I learned from this last decade:
- People will come. People will go. Say goodbye with dignity. Say hello with hope.
- It's okay to feel lost. Unless you don't feel lost, you're not going to find yourself.
- If you open yourself up to love, it will come. And I don't just mean romantic love.
- Don't be afraid of change. Jobs, countries, boyfriends, feelings, and you, will change. If you stay in the same place with the same people, you're not growing.
- As long as you know you have everything within you to make the best of whatever life has to offer, you're unstoppable.
- When you're single, make the most out of being single. Enjoy every moment so when you're in a relationship you never regret the things you didn't do when you were single. Don't waste your single years pining for a partner.
- Taking care of your body and health will be the best investment you'll ever make.
- You don't have to justify your life choices to anyone.
- Confront your fears. Do a bit of soul-searching, find out what you're afraid of, and then actively confront it. You'll become unbelievably stronger.
- Get away from negativity. Whether it's a negative person or situation, do whatever you can to distance yourself from it.
- STOP comparing yourself to anyone else. Just. Stop.
- Desperation is a repellent. It drives away good people and opportunities.
- The more grateful you are for what you have, the more you get of it. This includes money.
- Forgive people, but don't forget what they did. Don't make the same mistake twice.
- Try new things. Meet new people, go to new places. Break out of your comfort zone. You might have a good experience, or a bad one. But for sure you'll learn something new and forge new paths for yourself.
- Do what makes YOU happy, even if society and your peers laugh at it.
- Stop self-sabotage. We often stand in our own path. Find out the ways you're destroying your own happiness and put an end to it.
- Never lose your child-like wonder. Lose the people that make you feel like you should grow up, but always keep that wonder.
- Be on a never-ending search for things you love doing, things that make you happy. Then explore those things and get lost in them.
- Make it a priority to love yourself. If I could drive home just one point from this list, it would be this.
These are the lessons life taught me so far. As I look back, I only feel happiness and gratitude for all the things I've done and seen. And excitement for things yet to come.
What about you? Would you add anything to this list?
I'm nearing my forties, but I do agree with all that you've said. I especially liked the points about health and enjoying single life without pining away for a relationship. That is a colossal waste of precious youth.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anne! It is, isn't it! I'm happy I had all my fun and did everything I wanted to do!
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