Life Lessons From My 31st Year

Another year has come and gone. Birthdays are so strange. It’s nice to have a day where people say nice things and make you feel special but it’s also weird too. I struggle with birthdays sometimes, just a little, because truthfully, they make me feel a bit sad. I feel like time is going faster than ever! But hey, maybe I’m just being hormonal because this is the first birthday I’ve celebrated with a tiny human kicking me as I type this! Anyways, I thought that on my 31st birthday, I would share some of the life lessons I learned from this past year because reflection is a good thing, right?!

What doesn’t kill you… This past year was my hardest to date, and yet, I still wouldn’t change it. I do feel stronger coming out the other side with some huge life lessons. Now, I definitely did not see this in the moment, but distance always provides some perspective.

Health is definitely #1. This past year my disease really challenged me and at certain points, I didn’t even feel like myself. I tried to push through it for the majority of the year and that was a mistake. It really did reinforce how health needs to be the number one priority, especially as I age. Plus, I’ll have a little one to take care of soon!

Learn to let go. This is a hard one but there were a lot of things I had to just let go of this year. Carrying the weight of disappointments, disagreements…loss…I could go on and on, well, it’s just too darn much! No more hanging on to those types of things!

Don’t sweat the small stuff. This is something I have really appreciated with getting older and yes, easier said than done. It’s still a work in progress but it IS getting easier for me to avoid jealousy, it’s easier for me to forgive, and it’s easier for me to overlook the negative things in life. And let go!

At the end of the day, it’s all small stuff. Going through some major events this past year, like losing a baby for instance, really puts it into perspective that the day to day is ALL small stuff. The majority of my problems are really small and do not need the amount of energy I put into them.

Relationships are key. My husband was my rock this year, as well as, my family and some really great friends who I could rely on. These relationships are so very important to me and I know that they require work. Sometimes, I wish I did a better job of nurturing my relationships since it becomes so easy to use the excuse “I’m just so busy.” This is something that I want to continue to work on this year.

Time outs are ok. On the busy note…I think we are all too busy and that’s just the direction life has taken. I’m guilty of taking on too much and stretching myself too thin just like the next guy. But the past few months especially have taught me it really is ok to slow down and take a few time outs here and there. I think I’m much more well rounded because of that. And, of course, I say that before this little bean comes into the world. Next year, I’ll be singing a different tune I’m sure 😉

Listen to your gut. I have been so afraid for so long about pursuing my passions and finding what makes me truly happy. For years, my gut has been pointing me in a new direction and FINALLY, this year, I started to take notice and make the necessary changes in my life. My happiness depends on me, not anyone else. Yes, the people I surround myself with do make me really happy but I’m talking about fulfilling my own purpose.

Keep growing. I have learned SO much this year and you know what, I genuinely love to learn. Even looking at how far the blog has come shows how much I continue to grow and evolve all the time. I truly think if you’re not growing, you’re dying.

Everything changes. Maybe not the day to day, but when I look back at this post like I did to my Turning 30 one today, it will all be different. Imagine in another 10! One thing is absolute in this world – nothing stays the same, change is inevitable. Sometimes this is scary but I try to always think about how exciting change can be. There was a lot of “new” in my universe this past year and, my God!, I am about to bring a baby into the world. Shit is going to change REAL fast lol. But just think…holy crap that is EXCITING! 

XO – K