30 Things I Learned Before 30

So, it's finally happened. I'm 30 years old. Now what? 

I have to admit, I'm petrified. I always hear that your 30's are nothing short of magical - you apparently walk in very sure of yourself, ready to take control of every part of your life. With your head held high, you're supposed to crush the next decade. But what if I don't? Naturally, fear is setting in.

...but then I remembered the panic attack I had at 25 and I'm instantly reminded of how much growth has happened just in these past five years. What have I learned thus far?

1. It is okay to say NO. Throughout my 20's, I felt like I had to catch everything. Like I couldn't say no to anything - at work, at home, with friends. Learning to say no literally changed my life. People have learned my boundaries and respect them. It's also helped me prioritize and compartmentalize everything. Streamline and proceed.
2. You do not have to say sorry for literally any and everything. I'm one of those people that says sorry if I'm in YOUR way. I say sorry if I fall. I say sorry if you step on me, because obviously I put myself in the line of fire. I need to stop that.
3. You don't have to shave your pits if you don't want to. But, actually.
4. You have to shave your legs if you don't want to. Winter time, let's do this.
5. Shit...you don't have to shave ANYTHING if you don't want to. Girl. Live your best life. Only you have command of your person. If you don't want to shave, you do not have to!
6. Sleep is important, it is not for the weak. I used to stay up until 2 and 3 AM every night and wake up at 7 for work. Now, it hits 10PM and I'm yawning. Sleep is imperative. Your bodies' cells need to regenerate, you need to refresh and refuel. Skipping out on sleep makes you unproductive and does not benefit you. Honestly, truly...there's nothing that can't be done tomorrow. Take yo ass to bed.
7. Exercise is important. Again, your body needs energy. Also, your muscles need to move so they don't disintegrate and break apart (I clearly do not know technical terms here). But exercise gives you energy. My body in the last year alone has been very good at telling me it needs more movement. I get cranky and achy and tight. Move! If only for 30 minutes, just move. Take the stairs, walk instead of taking the bus. Just do it.
8. So is not eating like shit. My body is literally rejecting filth at this point. You feel 1000000 times better of a human if you add whole foods to your diet and drink water. And your skin will look amazing and your nails won't break (priorities, priorities).
9. You don't have to be concerned with other's opinions of you. This connects to not saying no and saying sorry very well. A lot of people do those things because they are worried they will be judged. One of the most liberating things I've ever done for myself is stop worrying about how people feel about me. That's when you're truly free. You're spending less time worried about others so you can focus that energy inward. Project #FullFlourish is in effect!
10. You CAN actually wear what you want. This will take me on a heavily political rant because there are some folks who do not have access to clothing, but ultimately you are actually allowed to wear whatever you want to wear. Ladies, you can wear stripes. Have porcelain skin? You can wear yellow. Men can wear women's clothing. It's your world, we're just living in it!
11. Toxic people have no place in your life. Honestly, stop wasting time on fuccboi's. There is no progress there. That friend that only likes you when you're down? Cut them out. You don't need that energy. It just attracts more negativity, and who needs that stress?
12. It's okay to grow out of relationships. In our 20's, we try so hard to hold onto relationships. Relationships from when we were younger - that friend from Freshman year of college, that friend from three jobs back, that friend you grew up with on your street as a child. It's okay to outgrow those relationships if they do not fit the life you have built for yourself thus far. You don't have to completely abandon them, but you don't have to force yourself into anything either.
13. Keeping up with the Joneses' is for naught. Don't waste your money or your time.
14. The internet is not real. 1000%. Most of the internet is staged, don't believe the hype.
15. It's not healthy to compare yourself to other people...especially on the internet. Just repeating this for the people in the back that didn't hear me.
16. Fact checking is key. If there's one thing the internet has taught me, especially this presidential election, is that not a soul fact-checks anymore. Do yourself a solid and make sure your information is coming from a credible source before you share something. It makes for much better social fodder when you're actually correct in your stance.
17. You are worth more than you think you are. And I think you know that. It's okay to accept that.
18. Respect that worth. Stand tall in your worth, do not let anyone disrespect that work. Be confident in who you are, your beliefs, and your boundaries.
19. Skinny dipping is a spiritual experience. It's like taking a dip in Lake Minnetonka. Do it at least once if you haven't already.
20. It's okay to get hurt. I think we are all afraid, in one way or another, of getting hurt. But you know what? Getting hurt helps you grow as a person. I strongly believe every shitty relationship I've been in, romantic or not, has taught me something about both myself and the world. It hurts at the time, but you'll look back in retrospect and laugh a little because you'll understand that it's part of the process. Own that.
21. You should always admit when you're wrong. Unlike apologizing for merely existing, apologizing for being wrong makes everything right in this world. Stop being stubborn, stop being proud. If you've messed up, just own up to it and move on. Everyone will thank you for it and you've just saved yourself a ton of time.
22. Grudges are wasted energy. They really, really are. Leaning into admitting when you're wrong, just talk it out. Most often than not, grudges are just misunderstandings and miscommunications anyway.
23. Grudges are wasted energy...especially against family. Your family is here to stay, whether you like it or not. It will be painful sometimes (trust me!), but it's not worth it to hold onto salt.
24. It's okay to ask for help. I'm a proud person who doesn't like to admit when I need help sometimes, but once I learned that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, my life changed. Knowing when you need a hand is monumental.
25. Seriously though...ask for help. There are villages around us that can help. Collaboration is key, use those resources. My most successful projects have been inklings from other people combined with skills that I do not have.
26. You are not your hair. I chopped my hair off completely when I was 29 and I haven't looked back. I've learned to love what my face actually looks like when it's not hidden behind curls and bangs, swoops and loops. I've accepted that I have bags under my eyes and a big forehead, and guess what? I'm still alive to tell the tale.
27. You deserve to be loved. Understand that everyone on this planet deserves love, in whatever capacity that happens for you. You deserve to have someone care about you.
28. You deserve to have that love nurtured. Outside of having someone care about you, you deserve to have someone continue to nurture what you have. You deserve to be touched, to be taken care of. You deserve that date! You deserve to have someone genuinely inquire about how you're feeling. You deserve to have someone there to pick you up when you fall. You deserve all of it. Let it happen.
29. Do not let your circumstances define who you are. We all want more, and let our circumstances define who we are. I cannot tell you how many times people tell me "I wish I could ____ like you". YOU. CAN. DO. WHATEVER. YOU. WANT. Just put your mind to it. Use those resources I spoke about, try your best to put yourself in situations that can propel you forward. And remember to work hard but also work smart. You got this.
30. You are the summation of your experiences. My husband says this to me all of the time. We are byproducts of our experiences, so take each one as an opportunity to learn more about yourself. Allow yourself to deep dive into...yourself. You'll be amazed at what you'll find.

Where's my over-30 crew at?! I want to hear about how different you feel now. Please share your experiences, I want to hear them all, lol. Love you all!