This month (September) I’ll be the ripe old age of thirty! And here are thirty life lessons I’ve learned in that time.
I know, I know! I don’t look a day over twenty! But on September the 8th 2022, I’ll be celebrating my thirtieth birthday! Thirty years on this earth! Can you believe it? Because I honestly can’t. I’ve lived longer than most adults during the Middle Ages when life expectancy was a brief twenty-five to thirty-three years. Yet, despite this, I feel like I’ve only really been alive over the last number of years. Prior to that, I was lost in a haze of study, work, panic, depression, expectation, anorexia, and an overall flurry of negative consequences.
But, with thirty years of life comes thirty life lessons that I can take with me into the next decade. My thirties are truly going to be the beginning of the rest of my life and possibly the best chapter yet. Until my forties, that is!
It’s taken me thirty years to get here but that doesn’t mean you have to take quite as long. If you take away just one lesson from this post then I’ve done my job. Without further ado, here are thirty life lessons I’ve learned over the last thirty years of my life!
Thirty life lessons I’ve learned in thirty years.
1. If you don’t ask, you don’t get it.
I get it, it’s hard to ask for what you want or even what you need. But the worst thing you can do is to not ask at all. The thought of standing up for yourself in any capacity can be very anxiety-inducing. And if you grew up being told to ‘not rock the boat’, it’s difficult to know where to begin. However, in reality, the worst thing that can happen is you don’t get the answer you want. The world won’t implode, and if people think any less of you that’s on them.
With that being said, it’s important to be prepared for an answer you both didn’t want and didn’t expect.
2. Life is too short to waste time hating yourself.
I’ve spent the majority of my childhood, adolescence, and adult life hating my body and myself as a whole. It’s gotten me nowhere but into a deeper and darker state of depression. Whether the depression came before the eating disorder or vice versa, it doesn’t matter. But what fuelled the flames was how I see myself; both internally and externally.
While self-love isn’t my strongest suit, it’s something I’ve become better at over time. It’s very much a journey rather than a destination, so keep at it! After all, a lifetime of negative self-talk won’t simply disappear overnight.
3. You don’t have to win every argument.
You can simply agree to disagree and leave it at that. Even if they are being hostile, don’t rise to it! You’re entitled to your own opinion on matters and you don’t have to change that for anyone.
4. Ask for help when you need it.
Asking for help, whether it’s for your mental health or something else, takes bravery! It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do but by far one of the most important.
5. Make peace with your past to protect your future.
Moving on from our past can be incredibly difficult. Especially when it comes to forgiving ourselves and even others. However, moving on is a matter of survival, especially when it comes to our brains. Adverse life events disrupt the natural order, instead introducing chaos and even trauma. So, it’s no wonder that healing from our past can be a long and often treacherous path.
But making peace and accepting the past is one hundred per cent possible, and necessary in order to be the best I can be.
6. Don’t compare yourself.
Or your life to that of others. No two flowers bloom the same.
7. It’s never too late to be a happy child.
Yes, even if you’re thirty!
8. Don’t save things for ‘special occasions.’
Burn those candles, use those forks and wear the damn shoes!
9. ‘But will it matter in five months? Or even five years?’
10. What other people think of you is none of your business.
I grew up extremely worried about what other people would think of me. Although I never tried to fit in, I was still very anxious about others looking at me, or talking about me. I needed everyone to like me; I was really nice, so why didn’t they like me?
The truth is that I can’t make everyone like me. No matter how hard I try! It’s just impossible. If people don’t like what I’m doing in terms of my writing, my advocating, and being honest about myself; Then they aren’t worth my time.
11. Your job won’t take care of you when you’re sick.
But your friends and family will.
12. Practice gratitude.
13. Life is too short to be envious.
14. Always be open to learning, even if it means unlearning.
15. It’s good to plan for the future, but don’t hoard.
Money’s nice, but it’s not your only purpose in life. Let’s be honest, when I go it’ll still be here. All those hours you spent in a stressful job, ruining your own health with poor coping strategies and high cortisol levels aren’t worth it just for the six-figure sum.
Remember: You weren’t born to pay bills and die.
So, with a call back to point eight, be sensible BUT don’t feel guilty about treating yourself when you can.
16. Success is not measured by the size of your house.
Nor is it about the car you drive, the zeros in your bank account, the letters after your name, or the degree on your wall. Everyone measures success differently and for me, it’s in happiness.
17. It’s okay to stand out from the crowd.
18. You don’t have to do something just because it’s expected of you.
19. Our parents were, and often continue to be, clueless.
No one tells you what to do in life. You’re not brought into this world with a walkthrough or a guide. Adults, parents or not, are all children walking through life making it up as we go along. We will make mistakes, and learn from them. Sometimes we’ll keep making mistakes until we hit the mark.
Parents and grandparents included. We once looked up to them as adults who had their lives figured out. Now, as adults, we realise that they were clueless. Just like we are. We’re all stumbling through the best we can, doing what we can to survive.
20. If you stand for nothing, you fall for everything.
21. Being different is perfectly fine, in fact, it’s important.
Trying to be someone else can actually be detrimental to our health, you know. It can leave us feeling stunted, and lost, and can even lead to depression.
22. Anything ever worth achieving does not come easy.
23. Peer pressure is a test of your will.
24. It’s better to act and be embarrassed for five minutes than to not act and be embarrassed for the rest of your life.
25. You don’t have to follow the crowd just because it’s the most ‘sensible’ option.
My husband and I are the last people to do something just because everyone else has. Where I’m from the natural progression of things ends with raising children, and then grandchildren. But we’re settled in the fact that the only tiny feet we see in our future are attached to furry felines. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing, even if it seems to be the more ‘sensible’ option.
26. School teaches us the basics. Life teaches us everything else.
Everything worth learning I’ve learned in the school of life.
27. Not everyone will like you.
Call back to point ten!
28. You’re not the center of the universe.
Spoiler alert: No one really cares about what’s going on in your life. And I mean that in the nicest way. I often sit awake at night remembering every awful or embarrassing thing I’ve done in my thirty years. But, in truth, is anyone really going to remember that time I farted in assembly? Or that time I misread organism as orgasm in biology?
I am not the center of the universe. We’re only a small ingredient in a much, much bigger recipe.
29. We’re often scared for no reason.
Especially if you have anxiety.
happy birthday!! you are such an incredible person Chloe look at all you’ve done in 30 years you are wise beyond your age. Love hearing what you’ve learned keep it up and I hope you enjoy your special day! 😉
Reading these, at the ripe age of 32 now (!!!) made me realise that I do so many of these it’s unbelievable. I rely on people and then get burnt, or stuff along these lines. I’m saving this post and re-read it every so often because I need to get there, especially in the self-love department. Thank you for sharing these Chloe xx
Thank you pet! I would love that to happen in our 30’s! Definitly! I’ve vowed that 30 is my new lease on life – 20’s was just a bit of practice! xx
I know I’ve already said it but happy belated birthday and welcome to the 30 club – can’t believe we both joined it at the same time. One of my friends will be joining it next week as well so I’m totally ready to tease him about it. I’ve learned SO much, mostly within my 20’s but I still don’t feel like I have anything figured out and still feel totally lost and if anything, I feel more lost now that I have a much stronger sense of who I am than ever before. I’m still not feeling great about being 30, due to all the personal things I feel about life and direction, a lack of purpose and a sense that I didn’t get ANYTHING I wanted in my 20’s. Age is a funny thing and can certainly bring up some strange emotions. I hope your 30’s are an absolute blast! <3 Maybe our 30's can be when we finally meet in person!
Firstly, Happy belated Birthday lovely! I hope you had the best day. Secondly, I just love this post! I’ve always loved reading what people have learnt over the years, I find it so interesting. Im defiantly still learning some of these things myself. Thank you so much for sharing with us! Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
How lovely to learn from your life’s lessons. Thank you for sharing with us
30 is such a milestone year. Happy birthday to you!
“What Other People Think Of You Is None Of Your Business”!!! This is my mantra, from 2018 onwards!
Love all of these! I wish I could go back and tell my 30-year-old self to chill out and enjoy life more. All of that worrying was a waste of time and energy.
These are all really great and important lessons in life that we must learned. Happy happy lovely 30th Birthday!
Happy Sweet 30, lovely. May you be blessed always.
Great lessons, as we grow, we learn more and more about ourselves and our lives. Thank you for sharing your experience and hope had a wonderful birthday!
Happy birthday. Such amazing tips! The stressful job one really resonated with me. Life is too short to chase money! It’s about balance.
Happy 30th birthday to you!! I hope its a great one. I am turning 30 in May so I will be there soon too!
Such a great post!!! You sound more pragmatic at 30 than I was. At 30, my son was already 8 years old and I was busy being a mom to him. But hey!! this is something I can share with my son.
Happy 30th Birthday tomorrow lovely! I absolutely loved reading these life lessons you have learned in your 30 years of life. I turn 30 next year and I have definitely learned so much in that time! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
It’s amazing how much we learn as we get older and grow. It sounds like you remain open to what life and time have to teach, and that’s the best way to grow. Have a great birthday!
I think the biggest lesson we can learn in our lives is to love ourselves. I love that you realized that sooner rather than later.
I hope you have a wonderful birthday and continue learning and growing. That’s how we become our best selves!
Happy birthday for tomorrow I hope you have a wonderful day. That cake looks so pretty. These are some great lessons to have learned in your 30 years. I definitely freaked out turning 30. 31 was fine, but it was the initial turning 30 that was a struggle. It is a new adventure! I hope you have a fabulous birthday!
Lauren x
These are great lessons to learn and share with others; we could all do with understanding and adopting all of these! Happy 30th when you get to it!
Love this! You’re so much wiser than I was at 30 I gotta say so many of those things took me at least until 35. There is something nice about the wisdom that comes with aging I have to say, especially that as you get older, the less you care about what people think and it’s quite freeing, especially when it comes to accepting your own body (something that took me 35 years) or understanding that you can’t be everything to everyone, etc. Another one I had to learn: you will disappoint people when you choose yourself but you have to.. Thanks for writing this! Great share 🙂