30 reasons I love being 30
Why turning 30 is a blessing and not a deadline to have it all together
Tis the season for reflection. Before we move into the new year I’ve been taking some time to reflect on 2024, which for me was the year I turned 30.
I spent the majority of the end of my twenties dreading turning 30. The pressure from society to have it “all together” dawned on me heavily as I’m someone who naturally puts a lot of pressure on myself anyway and there were lots of things I envisaged having or achieving by the time I turned 30. I wanted to own my own house, have a partner etc. and the fact that I didn’t have these things was making me feel anxious with the looming deadline of my ‘big’ birthday.
If you resonate with any of this then I am here to tell you life doesn’t stop or change when you turn 30. In fact, I have never felt so free and enlightened in my life and I hope that my epiphany can help even one person release themselves from the unnecessary pressure. Because it turns out, life is pretty great at 30.
Aging is a blessing
I listened to Paul Brunson’s “We need to talk” podcast with Cindy Gallop recently and found her outlook on age really refreshing (the episode isn’t all about being single, more about being a liberated woman). To paraphrase, she talked about how she disagrees with the saying “age is just a number”. Age is not just a number, it dictates how much life experience you have and how much you’ve learned throughout your years and in not acknowledging your age you deny the wisdom you’ve gained through your life experiences.
In western society we tend to view aging as a bad thing and romanticise being young. Cindy’s view is that getting older means you are more experienced in life and in making good decisions for yourself. When you look at aging that way, turning 30 is pretty cool and makes me much more excited for how liberated I’ll hopefully feel at 40, 50 and 60!
I still have wobbles sometimes when I compare myself to others but in the lead up to my birthday I tried to remind myself of my own path and all the reasons I can be proud of where I am. There are reasons I didn’t achieve the things I thought I might, which are valid. I’ve learned that other people’s lives are not the benchmark for my happiness and comparing is pointless.
If you live a life that you genuinely enjoy waking up to and feel happy on a daily basis then I think that means you’re winning! My path has taught me so much about myself that I know I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. I am undoubtedly a more patient, kind and resilient person from my adversities and they have led to me letting go of the things that are out of my control, which has been the best blessing of all.
Things I love about being 30
So, here is a list of things I love about being this age. I hope they help you reflect on all the things you’ve achieved as you approach your own milestone birthday and reject society’s view of what you “should” have or be by 30.
I have never known myself as well as I do now
I had the confidence to dye my hair a new colour (and have genuinely never had so many compliments in my life!)
It is perfectly normal and accepted to say no to a night out
Lots of my social events revolve less around alcohol and more around bonding/ sharing experiences
I’ve been able to invest in therapy to understand myself better
I feel able to speak up when someone does something that upsets me
I’ve learned that working too hard is not cool
I’ve learned that work life balance is very cool
I have the financial freedom to do nice things for myself (like get my nails done, go on holidays or treat myself to coffees)
I feel empowered to make big decisions for myself and not rely on other people’s opinions
I’ve learned what kind of people and traits I value and need around me
I can notice when other people are projecting their insecurities onto me and choose to not take their comments personally
I appreciate the smaller moments and the importance of being present with the people you love
I make time to regularly draw, write and paint for fun like I did when I was a child
I feel able to let someone down gently after a date if I’m not feeling it
I have a clear idea of what kind of life partner I need
I’m more comfortable spending time alone than I ever have been before
I no longer say yes to things just because other people want me to
I feel motivated and disciplined to exercise regularly because of the way it makes me feel mentally
I’ve become more aligned with my physical body and use my physical symptoms as a guide for when I’m feeling off or stressed
I respect myself deeply
I feel empowered and excited to pick up new hobbies because they make me happy, not because I’m good at them
I know how to look after myself with care
I can communicate my needs clearly
I like myself
I’ve learned that no plans days are necessary for my health and try my best not to make myself feel guilty for doing nothing
I have become pretty good at cooking tasty, nurturing meals (if I do say so myself)
I’m surrounded by beautiful people who I can rely on and trust to be there when I need them most
I know the importance of listening to my gut to guide me rather than blindly doing what everyone else is doing
I feel proud of my commitment to exercise and looking after my body
If thirty feels this liberating then I am excited to see how much I can continue growing emotionally, spiritually and physically as I get older!