​Ten reasons to embrace your 30’s

I have now officially lived one full year in my thirties and I’m feeling sorry that I spent the last half of my twenties terrified about the fact that it seemed ‘all down hill’ from there… It appears that life actually just keeps getting better! My 30th year was my most challenging, wonderful and transformational,  yet and I can see now that this is what these years are all about.  Your thirties are when you have a chance to truly shine. Here’s why

1. You’ve given up trying really hard to be friends with people who clearly aren’t your crowd. All of that wasted energy can now be spent on your tribe! Surrounding yourself with people who make you feel good is really powerful, and liberating!
   
   
2. You’ve lived and learnt. In my 20’s (and late teens) I did a whole lot of trying and failing. I didn’t know it at the time but the lessons I learnt were so valuable and have now shaped who I am today. Does this mean I won’t fail again? Absolutely not. But now when I ‘fail’ I can embrace it knowing that it’s actually not a fail - it’s a lesson.
   
   
3. You’ve found your style and can be comfortable in your own skin. In the past when I got dressed to go out I’d do it thiking of what others would think of how I looked. Never was there consideration about how comfortable I was – I was the girl standing in line in a mini dress in the middle of winter… now when I drive past these lines on my way home (see next point) I can’t help but feel sorry for those poor goose bumpy girls (not enough to wind down the window and offer them my coat).
   
   
4. It’s ok to leave a party early. I’ve never been a night owl, in fact I’ve mastered what is known in our friendship group as the ‘phantom’ disappearing act. I’ve come to accept my love for my bed, being in a good enough state to remember to wash my face and brush my teeth, not to mention waking up feeling fresh – and now with a family and a career to think about I have a completely valid excuse!
   
   
5. You don’t need to feel quite so embarrassed about spending a Saturday night with Netflix and a nice glass of red… lets face it, most of your friends are doing it too!
   
   
6. You value your health and therefore can treat your body with the respect it deserves. No longer can I get away with eating junk, living on toast for a week or drinking heavily on the weekends. My body just does not function if I don’t treat it well and I have a far better relationship with it for this.
   
   
7. You are striving to achieve your dreams more than ever before – because you realise the time is now! It’s easy to cruise along mindlessly just doing the do in your 20’s. When you thirty it quickly becomes clear that it’s now or never! Kind of scary, but seriously exciting if you let it be.
   
   
8. You have money! (or at least a steady income) You own at least one piece of furniture that isn't from IKEA and clothes that can last you for more than one season.
   
   
9. You can live life to your life by your values instead of to impress others. There is no perfect one size fits all way to live life so there is absolutely no point in trying to conform with anyone elses ideals. Now that you’ve lived enough life to know what you’re values are you can start living by these instead!
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10. You’ve found (or you’re finding) your place in life and now you can own it!

 
To those in your twenties, don’t despair – life goes on, in fact it gets pretty damn good after the big three-oh. For those in your thirties, I hope you’re enjoying it as much as me, feel free to let me know what you love about life in your ‘dirty thirties!’