5 Things (With My Twist) That I Want To Share As I Enter My Fabulous 30’s

This woman stepping into her 30s, shares 5 ordinary things that all young women should know, making them personal in an interesting twist.

Since my 21^st birthday each year, I have complained about how “old” I am. I really believed that time is running away from me; I had no control over it, and each year my birthday was a constant reminder. After a decade, I have finally come to shake hands with my age, among other things. And now that I am in my 30’s I feel obliged to share my ‘wisdom’ – which is more my journey than advice.

Age is just a number

I learnt that clichés are oodles of wisdom and experience packed together in a tiny sentence; unfortunately they are also like this sudden flashbulb that is sparked only when you are ready to experience it. One of my scuba diving certification batch-mates was 53 years; she may have been the oldest but she was also the inspiration for others.

Don’t let others decide what is good for you

Only you know yourself best. Period. Whether you make good or bad decisions, you’re the only one who will be living it. So many times I look back and imagine how my life would have been if I had made different decisions but I also don’t forget that I can change my course when I set my mind to it. Life is too long to have zero misses, but I hope there are a few you can look back and laugh at.

.. like when you intentionally walk over a banana peel and fall with a thud. Hey, in India they have magical powers that draw you closer.

Everyone is different

Whether it’s your mind or your body, spend time knowing your strengths and boundaries. Stop having a timeline to dictate your life decisions – I know people who married at 20 and I know those who married at 40 and I know myself who is not married at 32. And, that’s fine.

Some of you were only waiting for me to finish this sentence, and now can go back to your lives.

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Believe in yourself

I know you’re thinking “I already knew that.” As you get older, the confidence you gain in your own self is pure joy. “What will people think” does not drive your decisions. It’s almost like getting rid of the dead weight. Believing in yourself is also knowing that if you were to stumble you would have the strength to rise. With 30 years of experience behind you, I’m sure there is enough history of credibility to fall back on.

Although, let me admit that I start regressing on bad hair days.

You have more questions than answers

If you introspect, you will realize how your opinions about the same things have changed in the last 2, 5 and 10 years. This will happen and you’re not alone, so don’t kill yourself over it. But be open to it. We are fortunate that we live in an era where information is abundant so go crazy and research, dive into books, the internet, talk to people and don’t be afraid to seek answers for that will set the evolution curve for your own life.

I recently learned that potatoes can be blue, carrots can be purple and bananas can be pink. As if life was not complicated enough!

Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Sunscreen’ is one of my favorite songs. He gives you a slew of wisdom but concludes that he can only be sure about one thing – wearing Sunscreen. Unfortunately you can’t even rely on that anymore. My advice is to read this excerpt keeping the beats of the same music – you won’t learn much but it will still be fun!

Published here earlier.

Image source: shutterstock

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