I’m a little reflective this week as I get closer to my birthday, my last one in the 30’s! I have to admit, I don’t feel like I’m going to
be 39. I’m sure some would say that there are times when I don’t act my age either! 😉 The 30’s have been an interesting decade that involved a lot of soul searching and where my journey of self-awareness really began.
My 20’s were tumultuous. There were heartaches, heartbreaks and I ended that decade with the loss of my father. Needless to say, I was happy to get rid of the 20’s and move on to a new decade. My 30’s started off a bit rocky as I tried to figure out my place in the world. Who am I? What do I have to offer? Am I worthy of all that I want for my life? These are the questions that I struggled with in my early 30’s. I felt like I was reinventing myself after my dad died. His death and all that happened immediately afterwards made me realize that I needed to do a lot of work on myself. I had spent a lot of time up until my 30’s being preoccupied by all that was happening around me, but hadn’t spent a lot of time looking at what was going on internally.
If someone had asked me where I saw myself on the cusp of 40 when I turned 30, I’m not sure what I would have said. What I do know is that I never would have imagined that I would be an entrepreneur, an author of my first book and getting paid to share my experiences with others. If someone would have told me that I would be able to grow stronger in mind, body and soul after the death of my father, I would have told them they were crazy, yet here I am! The great thing is that I know that this is only the beginning. My 30’s have been a period of rebuilding and creating a solid foundation that I plan on continuing to add to as I move into my 40’s.
I believe that I am getting better with age. I feel wiser, more confident, more patient and more at peace than I ever have before. I know a lot of people fear getting older, but I choose to see each year as a blessing. I experienced the first loss of a friend at the age of 17. That loss of a friend at an early age that wasn’t due to an accident, terminal illness or anything anyone was expecting has provided me with the awareness that we don’t know when our last day will be. Every day, each birthday is a gift! I know I am blessed to have experienced these 39 years of life, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me! I know it’s going to be great 🙂