Usually people see the age of 30 as a pivotal turning point in their lives. One in which they usually re-evaluate where they are in life, what they've done and what they plan to do with their futures. On a personal level, it's an exciting time because I have so much going on at the current moment that it's hard to keep track sometimes of all the things that I have to and want to do! It's not enough to look ahead to your future without reflecting upon your past mistakes and successes and learn from them. Inspired by my friend Leah, who has done something similar to this on her own blog, below is a list of the 30 top things that I've learned in the past 3 decades with the advent of turning 30 this June.
1. Accept yourself for who and what you truly are. There comes a point in everybody's life where you simply have to stop listening to others' point of view and focus on your own self, flaws and all. Trust me, you'll be better off if you like yourself for who you are on the inside as well as the outside.
2. The more 'stuff' that you have, the more stressed you'll become. This is a relatively new revelation for me, but one that I have come to see as very true. We are all occupied by obtaining 'stuff' in our lives, i.e. wealth, status, clothes, homes, cars, etc. And while that may seem great, the phrase 'you can't take it with you' is fitting because you can't take it with you to the next life. And with the accumulation of 'stuff', the more stresses come with it. The less 'stuff' you have, frees up your mind and soul because you do not have to worry about the things that accompany all the mindless stuff you've accumulated.
3. You make your own family. Again, thanks to Leah, I've adopted this as well. No one can argue that the people that will be there for you when all the chips are down is your blood family. But even when the chips aren't down, there are those certain players in our lives', that aren't blood related, that feel like family. Hold these people close and learn from the lessons that they teach and find comfort in their company.
4. Life is really a stage, and you are just acting. Wherever we go, we all put on an act. Whether or not we choose to admit it, none of us are truly genuine, we all feed off of each other. We pick up certain cues and whatnot from each other. Embrace it, there's no shame in learning and making examples of others from time to time. But on the flip side, always try to be as real with others' as you can, it'll make you more like able to others and yourself.
5. We're all connected. Like it or not, we're all in the same boat. Same beginning, same ending. As humans, I've found that we are more alike than unalike. We share a lot of the same experiences and should learn from the ones that we don't.
6. A lifetime of fitness is a GREAT thing. You are given one life and one body, why waste time sitting around all day playing video games and such? You were created to be an active, viable member of this world. Go outside, try new things. To quote a line from my favorite Dr. Seuss book, "The world is waiting, so get on your way!"
7. Don't be ashamed to ask for help. I tend to have a hard time with this one. I'm getting a lot better though. I'm not sure if it's pride, the fact that men try not to ask for help or what it is, but in years' past, I was always put off by the idea of asking for guidance or help due to the fact that I thought I could handle things myself, which usually wasn't the case. As I near 30, I've found out that asking for help is not only a good thing to do but necessary to accomplish the hard things in life.
8. You inspire more people that you can begin to imagine. I've recently found out, by no research of my own that my life has inspired others' to either keep moving towards certain goals they've set for themselves, continue on the path they're on with a shot of energy or just change their attitudes towards certain things that they previously though was bad or taken with the wrong attitude. I was in no way aware that little ole' me could inspire or help people just by being there and listening, but you don't know the impact you have on people until they tell you.
9. Nobody is living any sort of a dream life. Fake people are everywhere in this world nowadays, and though it may seem like people are living the life of Riley, a lot of times people put up fake walls to disguise the turmoil that is really ensuing in their life.
10. Never compare yourself to others; it will be the death of you. This is the hardest thing that I have to overcome. I've had so many obstacles in my short life so far and it's easy to say, "What if?" or "Why me?" I tend to focus on what other people have and I lack, and I'm sure that each of us tend to do this from time to time, but the truth is getting beyond it. I know that I possess gifts that other people don't and vice versa and hopefully one day, the world will be able to see the gifts that I have to offer it.
11. Never settle.
12. There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition. It keeps the mind and body fresh.
13. Laughter truly is the BEST medicine. One thing that I am constantly surrounded by is laughing. I try to immerse myself in in from day to day because if you can't learn to laugh about things, much less the tough things in life....you'll never make it through.
14. What you can see is only half of what there is. Remember the saying 'there's two sides to everything'? Well I think that applies to life and death. I believe there's a whole other world going on, right at this moment, taking place in front of us that we can't see.
15. All of us are really kids in adult bodies. Do you really, truly feel like an adult? Or just a big kids with adult packaging? I've always had the mentality of a kid. Carefree, wishful and creating situations with people that were free of tension and pressure. Is it really bad to be looked at as someone who has a child's prospective on the world? When and why do we lose this innocence?
16. Take risks. A poll was done on people over the age of 70 once that I read in the paper about what they regretted and cherished most about their lives' growing up. One of the things that was consistent among all of them was that they didn't take many risks as a younger person. Take risks (within safe reason of course), if the benefits outweigh the consequences, what is the harm? Just use some discretion.
17. It's okay to let your guard down. This one is for everybody, but writing this, I have males in mind. We are pre-conditioned by society to be tough acting, masculine figures who have everything in check. We're human too, it's okay to let the world know that we have a sensitive side as well. It's actually a great sign of being secure in your masculine self to cry every now and then!
18. Make one person smile each day. This is pretty self explanatory :)
20. Don't peak too early on in life. Those that have their successes early on in life dig themselves into a self-made hole later on that is made of laziness and depression. Pace yourself until you can truly shine.
21. Take your own advice. Many times we dole out advice to others' that sounds good to them but we don't follow ourselves. Try taking your own advice; you may be surprised at the outcome.
22. Accept people for who they are. A fairly simple point, but we make it so hard sometimes. You can't change the way people are, we're all wired differently, so grin and bear it and accept them. You may find out that they are worth knowing.
23. Own up to your dorkiness. If you trip and fall, don't try and be cool about it. Next time you trip, say out loud, "I meant to do that!"
24. Norah Jones music and green tea make for great relaxing afternoons. My friend India and I in college would always listen to Norah Jones during breaks from classes in the student union. She said that it always reminded her of sipping on green tea and listening to a thunderstorm outside. Nice thought, isn't it?
25. Nothing is too tragic that you can't get through it. As bad as things can get, we tend to forget sometimes that we are strong enough to get through situations in our lives' that we think are impossible, i.e. the death of a family member, financial problems, law issues, etc. Remember, if God brought you to it, he can bring you through it.
26. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. I truly believe that each one of us is a spirit, given these bodies as a vessel to carry us through this life, allowing us to experience everything that is given to us on this earth. One day when our experience is done and our jobs fulfilled, we will return home to be with our Father and loved ones.
27. The world doesn't revolve around your affairs. There are times in life, probably 95% of them where you have to take a step back from yourself and focus on matters of another nature. Listen to everything around you, somebody is crying to be heard somewhere.
28. Make a difference in the life of a child.
29. Cherish your family and friends today. These people were put into your life for a reason, and no one is granted tomorrow for certain. Spend time with those people that you hold dear to your heart; learn from them and make memories that you will remember for years' to come.
30. Age is just a number. For the final point in this entry, I decided to have one focus on age. No matter who you talk to, age is necessarily the number that you are, it's the way that you feel. If you keep thinking young and acting young, you'll be better off in the long run. Treat your body as well as your mind like a well oiled machine or computer for that matter.
Hopefully, you've found wisdom in some of these little life lessons that I have learned throughout the 30 years of my life on this earth. I look forward to the next 30 years, and the challenges, triumphs and rewards that come with it. Nobody has what they would call a perfect life, myself included. But I'd like to sum up the events in my life as what I like to call 'fortuitous happenstance'. What I mean by this is that most of the good things that happen in my life aren't planned, they just happen! I think most people can relate to that on some level, but when you've had all the things happen to you that I've had, you get to thinking, what did I do to deserve this? When good things happen, I relish totally in the moment, even if what's happening isn't to me directly. I'd like to send prayers of love and thanks to my loving and supportive family and great friends as their presence in my life continues to inspire me in ways they can't begin to imagine.
Namaste and God Bless.
1. Accept yourself for who and what you truly are. There comes a point in everybody's life where you simply have to stop listening to others' point of view and focus on your own self, flaws and all. Trust me, you'll be better off if you like yourself for who you are on the inside as well as the outside.
2. The more 'stuff' that you have, the more stressed you'll become. This is a relatively new revelation for me, but one that I have come to see as very true. We are all occupied by obtaining 'stuff' in our lives, i.e. wealth, status, clothes, homes, cars, etc. And while that may seem great, the phrase 'you can't take it with you' is fitting because you can't take it with you to the next life. And with the accumulation of 'stuff', the more stresses come with it. The less 'stuff' you have, frees up your mind and soul because you do not have to worry about the things that accompany all the mindless stuff you've accumulated.
3. You make your own family. Again, thanks to Leah, I've adopted this as well. No one can argue that the people that will be there for you when all the chips are down is your blood family. But even when the chips aren't down, there are those certain players in our lives', that aren't blood related, that feel like family. Hold these people close and learn from the lessons that they teach and find comfort in their company.
4. Life is really a stage, and you are just acting. Wherever we go, we all put on an act. Whether or not we choose to admit it, none of us are truly genuine, we all feed off of each other. We pick up certain cues and whatnot from each other. Embrace it, there's no shame in learning and making examples of others from time to time. But on the flip side, always try to be as real with others' as you can, it'll make you more like able to others and yourself.
5. We're all connected. Like it or not, we're all in the same boat. Same beginning, same ending. As humans, I've found that we are more alike than unalike. We share a lot of the same experiences and should learn from the ones that we don't.
7. Don't be ashamed to ask for help. I tend to have a hard time with this one. I'm getting a lot better though. I'm not sure if it's pride, the fact that men try not to ask for help or what it is, but in years' past, I was always put off by the idea of asking for guidance or help due to the fact that I thought I could handle things myself, which usually wasn't the case. As I near 30, I've found out that asking for help is not only a good thing to do but necessary to accomplish the hard things in life.
8. You inspire more people that you can begin to imagine. I've recently found out, by no research of my own that my life has inspired others' to either keep moving towards certain goals they've set for themselves, continue on the path they're on with a shot of energy or just change their attitudes towards certain things that they previously though was bad or taken with the wrong attitude. I was in no way aware that little ole' me could inspire or help people just by being there and listening, but you don't know the impact you have on people until they tell you.
9. Nobody is living any sort of a dream life. Fake people are everywhere in this world nowadays, and though it may seem like people are living the life of Riley, a lot of times people put up fake walls to disguise the turmoil that is really ensuing in their life.
10. Never compare yourself to others; it will be the death of you. This is the hardest thing that I have to overcome. I've had so many obstacles in my short life so far and it's easy to say, "What if?" or "Why me?" I tend to focus on what other people have and I lack, and I'm sure that each of us tend to do this from time to time, but the truth is getting beyond it. I know that I possess gifts that other people don't and vice versa and hopefully one day, the world will be able to see the gifts that I have to offer it.11. Never settle.
12. There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition. It keeps the mind and body fresh.
13. Laughter truly is the BEST medicine. One thing that I am constantly surrounded by is laughing. I try to immerse myself in in from day to day because if you can't learn to laugh about things, much less the tough things in life....you'll never make it through.
14. What you can see is only half of what there is. Remember the saying 'there's two sides to everything'? Well I think that applies to life and death. I believe there's a whole other world going on, right at this moment, taking place in front of us that we can't see.
15. All of us are really kids in adult bodies. Do you really, truly feel like an adult? Or just a big kids with adult packaging? I've always had the mentality of a kid. Carefree, wishful and creating situations with people that were free of tension and pressure. Is it really bad to be looked at as someone who has a child's prospective on the world? When and why do we lose this innocence?
16. Take risks. A poll was done on people over the age of 70 once that I read in the paper about what they regretted and cherished most about their lives' growing up. One of the things that was consistent among all of them was that they didn't take many risks as a younger person. Take risks (within safe reason of course), if the benefits outweigh the consequences, what is the harm? Just use some discretion.
17. It's okay to let your guard down. This one is for everybody, but writing this, I have males in mind. We are pre-conditioned by society to be tough acting, masculine figures who have everything in check. We're human too, it's okay to let the world know that we have a sensitive side as well. It's actually a great sign of being secure in your masculine self to cry every now and then!
18. Make one person smile each day. This is pretty self explanatory :)
19. Be a life-long learner. You can never be too old to learn something new. Take a class, read a book. You'll be better off be a well-rounded individual.20. Don't peak too early on in life. Those that have their successes early on in life dig themselves into a self-made hole later on that is made of laziness and depression. Pace yourself until you can truly shine.
21. Take your own advice. Many times we dole out advice to others' that sounds good to them but we don't follow ourselves. Try taking your own advice; you may be surprised at the outcome.
22. Accept people for who they are. A fairly simple point, but we make it so hard sometimes. You can't change the way people are, we're all wired differently, so grin and bear it and accept them. You may find out that they are worth knowing.
23. Own up to your dorkiness. If you trip and fall, don't try and be cool about it. Next time you trip, say out loud, "I meant to do that!"
25. Nothing is too tragic that you can't get through it. As bad as things can get, we tend to forget sometimes that we are strong enough to get through situations in our lives' that we think are impossible, i.e. the death of a family member, financial problems, law issues, etc. Remember, if God brought you to it, he can bring you through it.
26. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. I truly believe that each one of us is a spirit, given these bodies as a vessel to carry us through this life, allowing us to experience everything that is given to us on this earth. One day when our experience is done and our jobs fulfilled, we will return home to be with our Father and loved ones.
27. The world doesn't revolve around your affairs. There are times in life, probably 95% of them where you have to take a step back from yourself and focus on matters of another nature. Listen to everything around you, somebody is crying to be heard somewhere.
28. Make a difference in the life of a child.
29. Cherish your family and friends today. These people were put into your life for a reason, and no one is granted tomorrow for certain. Spend time with those people that you hold dear to your heart; learn from them and make memories that you will remember for years' to come.
30. Age is just a number. For the final point in this entry, I decided to have one focus on age. No matter who you talk to, age is necessarily the number that you are, it's the way that you feel. If you keep thinking young and acting young, you'll be better off in the long run. Treat your body as well as your mind like a well oiled machine or computer for that matter.
Hopefully, you've found wisdom in some of these little life lessons that I have learned throughout the 30 years of my life on this earth. I look forward to the next 30 years, and the challenges, triumphs and rewards that come with it. Nobody has what they would call a perfect life, myself included. But I'd like to sum up the events in my life as what I like to call 'fortuitous happenstance'. What I mean by this is that most of the good things that happen in my life aren't planned, they just happen! I think most people can relate to that on some level, but when you've had all the things happen to you that I've had, you get to thinking, what did I do to deserve this? When good things happen, I relish totally in the moment, even if what's happening isn't to me directly. I'd like to send prayers of love and thanks to my loving and supportive family and great friends as their presence in my life continues to inspire me in ways they can't begin to imagine.
Namaste and God Bless.
Comments
Post a Comment