I recently turned 30! (Happy Birthday to me!) They say your 20’s are for making mistakes (and I did, plenty). From changing my college major three times to changing my career for the second time, the last decade has been about self discovery. I've had the privilege to travel along the way and meet some incredibly inspirational and kind people who I believe were sent to teach me life lessons to better myself. Here are a few things I learned along the way.
Stop taking things so personally! There is a beautiful quote by Yogi Bhajan, ” If you are willing to look at another person’s behaviors towards you as a reflection of the state of their relationship with themselves rather than a statement about your value as a person, then you will, over a period of time cease to react at all. ” That guy that ended a relationship via text or could not commit was just in a battling relationship with himself. It most likely had nothing to do with you, so stop over analyzing and move on to someone who has a self assuring relationship with himself. Forgive and release, you will make room for more fulfilling relationships.
Diets are not cute. Going on depriving diets and doing crazy workouts that throw off your hormonal balance is clearly not working, so stop it. Instead, start falling in the love with the exact body you have right now. Fall in love with every inch of you and you will innately start making better choices that serve your body better. Shedding that weight will become a byproduct of caring for yourself better. Stop listening to all that noise about carbs and protein and figure out what works for you. If you need help figuring it out, invest in a health coach, trainer, or a nutritionist that can help you do that. Think about the people you love the most, would you treat them the way you treat yourself? People that love themselves and their bodies don’t punish themselves, they just don’t.
Your parents are human, and humans make mistakes. It’s high time we stop blaming our parents for our psyche and our self limiting beliefs. Your parents did the best they could with what they knew. And they didn’t really know what they were doing a lot of the times. (They didn’t have the internet, nor the abundance of parenting books that we have today.) We have the power to change our beliefs. We start believing what we constantly hear. If you heard negative things growing up, start exposing yourself to constant positive talk. There are a plethora of positive meditations, Ted Talks, and motivational lectures that can help you bloom with inspiration and positivity, available for free online. Release any bitterness that was built up over the years and take responsibility for your own life.
Travel alone. I know traveling is a cliche you hear from almost everyone trying to give you sage advice. Yes, it’s important to see the world, but don’t just see it through lenses of the luxury resorts. Immerse yourself in a culture with the locals. With resources like Airbnb and Workaway.info, you can travel on a budget while still having extremely rich experiences. Experience a different way of life, you may learn something. If you can, travel alone at least once. It will be an incredible experience getting to know yourself and how much you are truly capable of.
Invest in relationships. You are the company you keep, so surround yourself with people who encourage you to be your best self. It’s okay to let go of relationships that no longer serve you because you have matured and evolved.
Above all, stop caring so much about what people think. They probably won’t remember most of the things you do. So work on finding yourself, being yourself, and loving yourself. Because that is what being grown and sexy is all about!