30 Things I learned in 30 Years
Things change faster than you think—be present and enjoy the friends, family, and experiences
Let’s be real … sometimes life just sucks 😢 you might not understand in the moment but thorough reflection allows you to realize it was for the best. At least, that’s been a common theme in my life 🤷🏽♀️
Meditation, spirituality, and religion allow you to cultivate faith in something larger and bigger than yourself while becoming a better individual of society. Let that be the source of light through this life 😊
I learned about meditation through friends in college and at the time, it was this mystical thing but I never practiced. After college, I felt mind-wandering to a different level as I thought about the past, present, and future. At times, I’d physically be at the office but mentally in the library at UCLA. I attended a silent meditation retreat in 2018 and my life changed as I cultivated stillness and internal peace, something I’d never felt before. It’s weird imagining where I’d be without it. Always seemed like it was meant to happen 😊
All relationships require both parties to spend time, energy, and effort to be maintained for a long time
Everyone has 24 hours in a day. Make time for who and what’s important to you. It’s that simple 😊
Everything is a no until you ask so just ASK
You’ll be surprised how incorrect our perception is due to the voice in our head. Things that you thought that were never gonna happen … just happen. It’s like the bulb finally lights up and you realize, holy shit, where else have I been getting in my own way?!
Creativity takes the back-burner as life goes on so find things where you can exercise it
Most people tend to think they’re not creative. I think that’s the wrong perspective. Creativity is just thinking outside the box. It happens indirectly on a daily basis whether it’s getting stuck in an awkward position while bouldering and having to figure out a different route or having to help someone on a short notice. Now imagine if you directly exercised your creativity 🤔
Journaling is a powerful technique for self-therapy
I started journaling as a way to "time-travel" to combat only remembering the "big moments" and a way to preserve my younger self 😊
Journaling has slowly transformed into a sanctuary where I can be honest with myself about anything and everything. Does it suck to mess up from time to time? Yes, absolutely. It sucks big time. The important thing is that at least you’ve listened to yourself. Does the pain go away through writing your thoughts on paper? Kind of. It completely goes away with time, introspection, and self-improvement.
In all of this, it’s critical for you to be nice to yourself. Also, what is life if you’re not messing up from time to time 🤷🏽♀️
Take time to ask your friends how they’re really doing — you’d be surprised by their answer
Everyone’s going through their own shit. Make time to check in on people you care about. What’s the point in developing close relationships if you can’t have real conversations?
A healthy diet with regular exercising is a requirement for living a long life
The easiest way to exercise is to get back into playing like when you were little. Anything, it doesn’t matter. Just move. The body feels so good after!
Reading is an outlet to get away from the world and immerse yourself in the imagination of another individual
I read the Harry Potter series for the first time after college and finally understood why people were crazy about it growing up 😂 best series ever!!
There’s nothing wrong in standing up for yourself
For the longest time, I thought standing up for yourself meant putting someone down. It’s probably the reason I’ve been bad at it. Over time, I’ve realized you can stand up for yourself and not be an asshole. They’re not mutually exclusive
Financial security lessens a number of problems but the problems never stop
You solve one problem and another one is around the corner just waiting for you. Thus is life 🤦🏽♀️ 😂
Helping others is something that’s innate to us and is important for our own well-being
Volunteering is a form of selfless service that brings people together and leaves us wanting to contribute as much as possible 😄
Introspection and healing allow us to shape the traumatic moments in our life to moments of strength rather than guilt or shame
Look, everyone has baggage. The trick is to never let it accumulate and keep working at it. It takes consistency to get the closure you truly need but you will get there 🙏🏽
Making new friends gets harder as you get older yet more rewarding when it does happen 👏🏽
I made new friends through a volleyball league and it was totally unexpected. I went with a mindset to play a sport I enjoyed in middle/high school and what ended up happening is we all became friends 😎
Spontaneity can lead to very interesting experiences
A few years ago, I was in Atlanta and befriended some people at a bar. The next thing I knew we ended up spending the night together. All it took was 1 minute of bravery to initiate a conversation
Spend time in nature
I started backpacking in 2018 and I gotta say … kraft mac n cheese with some cayenne pepper and olive oil hits DIFFERENTLY after an exhausting 10 mile hike in the woods 🥾🎒
Forgive others; no one is perfect and you certainly aren’t either
Life is too short to be holding grudges and/or animosity. Letting go allows you to move on too 😊
Laughing at yourself from time to time can make any big thing seem very small and silly 😅
My middle school friend still gives me shit about calling him everyday about the Spanish homework 😂 even had a strategy for it — most of our conversation would be catching up about the day and then near the end of the call I’d ask for the homework 😂
Making material gains in life can be exciting but ultimately does not bring you lasting joy
The excitement of your first paycheck vs the 38th is vastly different. Just like anything materially … it gets normalized and what brings lasting joy is community, experiences, and finding internal peace
Being uncomfortable from time to time is actually good
Last year I traveled to Mexico City without much research 😂 I was definitely nervous but it ended up being an amazing experience as I explored a new city, culture, and made new friends. My Spanish is still a work in progress 🙃
Physical pain only hurts when it becomes mental pain
I learned this at my first silent meditation retreat. It was a bit eye opening because I’d never thought about physical pain in this lens. The physical pain I experienced was temporary but the moment I allowed the physical pain to become mental pain (thinking of the pain) that’s when it really hurt. It changed my relationship with physical pain altogether as now I see pain as an opportunity to sharpen my practice 🙏🏽
Gratitude can make any moment beautiful
Being content in a society that’s ever changing is difficult yet extremely important. Only then you TRULY appreciate each moment ❤️
Times of boredom are moments to introspect and openly talk to yourself about anything/everything
Another form of self-therapy — an opportunity to make opinions of the world without any external influence 🌍
Your parents are getting older so spend some time with them
You really see the shortness of life as you see your parents age 😪
Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry
Your bill is about to be much higher than expected 😂🤦🏽♀️
Limit your digital stimulation
There’s just way too much stimulation nowadays. It’s not good for us. Be conscious of the things you consume and drop the things that impact you negatively ❌
Focus on a few things
I’ve spread myself too thin in the past. Switching over to doing less has actually been productive while aligning with my priorities
Forming good habits is tough yet much needed
Having a morning and night routine is underrated. It took me a long time to figure that out and now I see the value in them 😊
Focus on effort and not the outcome
The only variable in your control is your own effort. Focusing on anything else creates unnecessary anxiety that stops you from performing at your best. Be all-in on the effort 😊
Try to act from a place of compassion, kindness, and love
I’ve thought about these 3 words a lot this year. It’s still a work in progress 😊