last monday (the 21st), i turned 34. i didn't expect my 30s to be much more of adventure than my 20s were, however that is the case. i thought that my 30s would be a time of coasting, not rollercoastering.
here is a list of things that i have learned over the last 34 years.
1) your dreams are too small- i don't know if i thought that i wasn't enough to do some of the things that i was dreaming about, or what...but i realized quickly that i settled for small dreams. i think joell ortiz has said it best "cause if you join them then you're building a ceiling to where you're headed".
2) friendships changed and that's a good thing.- most of the friends i have, have been in my life for the last 5-15 years. they have been part of many parts of my life. we have changed together and apart. doesn't mean the bond is weaker, just different. and that's part of growing.
3) things end when they are good.-sometimes doors close on something when you feel like it's thriving. everything has an expiration date, doesn't mean that you will enjoy it any less. sometimes it makes the ending painful, but enjoy what was good.
4) sometimes the only way to go forward is to go backward.- i got a lot of flack moving back to louisville, much less to the usa after being in cambodia for the last year. at first, i started to question whether it was the best thing for me to do. but honestly, the louisville i knew was from the time i was 18. yes, i went to graduate school here, but if you've ever been to graduate school you'll know that is a majority of your life. moving here allows me to connect with people and rebuild some relationships and put me on a new path.
5) not everyone is going to be in your corner and that's okay.-you don't always need a corner man. sometimes the only one in your corner is you.
6) life is too short to not have a passport.-enough said
7) your passions will change.- what i have wanted to do, loved, has morphed over the last few years. it's part of growing, it's part of having new experiences. embrace your changing.
8) just because your dreams have been delayed, doesn't mean they've been denied.
9) your happiness is not dependent on others.-i'm not a people pleaser, but i do let how people feel about me play a role in how i feel about me. i'm working on becoming independent of that thought.
10) it's okay to be a little weird.
11) there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure.- like what you like.
12) people will still love you, even if you disagree.
13) there isn't a timeline to what you're supposed to do in life.-just live..it will all workout.
14) don't be afraid to let people know how you feel.-good or bad.
15) if not now, then when?
16) if you want something, you're going to have to work for it.
17) you can always ask for help.
18) don't let anything dull your sparkle.
19) trust your gut.- it's usually always right.
20) don't trust what's on the internet.
21) history will repeat itself-so be ready.
22) you can always go back home.
23) dream as BIG as you want, and change it along the way.
24) be careful with whom you share your life with.-there's a saying that you become like the top 5 people you hang out with. make sure you choose wisely.
25) there's a lot to learn in between opportunities.-the "in between" moments are some of the most profound.
26) read more that you watch.
27) ask you parents questions about the life they had before you, because you are responsible for carrying on those stories.
28) don't worry about what people think about you.-because they aren't really thinking about you that much.
29) love BIG and fearlessly.
30) you can make a career out of helping people and it is incredibly tiring and fulfilling.
31) listen more. talk less.
32) take every opportunity that comes your way.- it's the only way you learn.
33) create as much as possible.
34) you will never stop learning-you're never a pro.
this has been a crazy year and i look forward to it becoming crazier.