Turning the big 30 was a kind of terrifying and overwhelming experience all at once. Suddenly, grey hairs start to emerge where there used to be none. Meanwhile, expression lines discreetly begin to mark their territory, making you question whether or not Botox is needed (as of right now, I don’t have any on my face, just on my arm!).

The realization hits you like a splash of cold water. Now, it’s You vs. Gravity in a battle to keep everything where it should be. And it’s true, collagen production starts to diminish after the mid-twenties. Oh, shoot!

One thing they forgot to mention in the “Turning 30” manual is the increased confidence you would gain. Things you were worried about before don’t matter anymore.

With newfound confidence, you acknowledge the importance of prioritizing yourself while accepting your imperfections.

Finally, the inner self you kept hidden for so long reemerges, bringing a new meaning to life. It’s as if the blindfold has magically vanished, enabling you to view things through new lenses. You now have a clear understanding where to invest your energy by eliminating what no longer serves you. Having the courage to confront your fears and emotions is truly invaluable. However, don’t expect it to happen with the snap of a finger; it requires patience and dedication.

Having everything figured out by the age of 30 is the biggest misconception in existence.

Of course, it would be delightful to have everything neatly structured and to be completely independent before entering a new decade, accomplishing every goal by a certain age. Life is often seen as a race: once one objective is fulfilled, you’re expected to immediately move on to the next one. This results in not having enough time to truly savor your achievements.

If you had told me ten years ago that I would be where I am today, I would have called you delusional. I had this grand plan in my head, where I envisioned reaching certain milestones and achieving specific goals by a particular age. But have I accomplished everything I set out to achieve by the age of thirty? No. Have I beaten myself up over it? Absolutely. However, does that mean I will never accomplish those things? No, it simply means I will achieve them at my own pace.

Believing in yourself unconditionally and in what you are capable of achieving is more important than any timeline.

Occasionally, the more goals achieved, the more miserable one becomes. The problem lies in not feeling the flames associated with pursuing one’s true passion, the very thing that should make you excited to wake up each day.

A jigsaw puzzle can never be finished by pretending the last piece is fit when none of its sides match. Instead of forcing the piece to fit, one should accept that it is incorrect and search for the proper one. Who knows what you might find along the way—maybe a pleasant surprise. It could be the thing you have been missing all along but were unaware of.

The most important thing in this journey called life is being happy with who you are. If we’re not content with ourselves and the person we’re becoming, then what are we really doing? We owe it to ourselves to become the person we truly want to be, even if it means taking some detours along the way. It doesn’t mean we have to arrive at an exact destination at a specific time.

And if it does, well, screw it, because our overall well-being is far more important than meeting some arbitrary timeline.

Stay Beautiful XoXo

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