It’s my birthday today! I’m 31. t-h-i-r-t-y-o-n-e. I am well and truly ‘in’ my thirties. And you know what? I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.
Over the last year, and the last few months in particular, I have felt incredibly calm, content and, well, happy. And I’m pretty sure I know why.
I’ve stopped rushing to get ‘where I should be’. I am exactly where I need to be. I’ve stopped comparing myself to others my age. I am on my own path and I am enjoying the journey.
It’s really quite incredible how much weight is lifted off your shoulders once you let go of what you ‘should’ be doing or where you ‘should’ be in life.
Yes, there are things I’m looking forward to in my future (moving forward in my career, moving in with Dan, travel, one day marrying his ass and having cute curly-haired babies) but I’m not in a rush anymore. I’m not fixated on it.
I’m actually getting emotional writing this. I never thought I would be happy-crying at the age of 31, sat on my bed, living with my parents, drinking coffee while listening to Ben Howard.
But that’s just it isn’t it. Even though I’m not where I thought I would be at 31 or perhaps where society thinks I ‘should’ be - I am still happy-crying. I am supremely happy with my life and everyone in it.
If you’re reading this thinking ‘well, that’s great for you, but what about me you soppy bitch?’, I hear ya - I’ll shut up about my amazing life now and offer a few tips to help you follow your path.
Tips for following your own path
- Have a gut check. How happy are you with your current situation? Don’t worry about whether or not it’s the situation you ‘should’ be in, just ask yourself - am I happy right this minute? Your gut will tell you if something’s off.
- Surround yourself with positive people. Part of being on the right path is being surrounded by people who light up your life. Is there someone in your life that makes you feel drained or bad about yourself? If so… they gots to go.
- Stop giving a fuck. I’m currently reading ‘The life changing magic of not giving a f**k‘ and it is, well, life changing. Choose what you do and do not care about and stop giving energy to the things you do not care about (hint, this includes society’s expectations of you).
- Don’t compare. The beauty of following your own path is that it is YOUR path. No one else’s. It will look different to your friend’s path, to you parent’s, to your sister’s. And that’s OK.
Right, enough of this emotional bull-shhh I’m going to go drink champaign, eat some cake and wallow in my giddy happiness some more. Here’s to loving life wherever you are.
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