I’m thirty. Ayee. (Sidenote: crazy that I haven’t posted anything in over a year… gotta get back on it. I have lots!) I turned thirty two weeks ago and I wrote this list in no particular order. Of course I’ve learned more than what I’ve written below… things like handwritten notes being awesome and how jumping in my bed after a long day is one of the best feelings and so is decluttering. (Y’all like how I just threw in a few extras not officially on the list?) In all seriousness, I took a few days to write this and I really thought about things and life lessons that I really value. Again, in no particular order, here they are:

1. God is love and I really do love Him. I can only love others to the extent I love myself (Mark 12:31). Meaning I wouldn’t know how to love myself without knowing God. And if I don’t love myself, my capacity to love others is greatly limited.
2. There is nothing like family. The good and the bad lol I’m thankful for it, blessed by it and I’m realizing I appreciate my family more and more as I get older.
3. Parents are graced with a certain strength from God. They have their own struggles and they’re still there for us. *crying face* Even as an adult, I expect certain things or take things for granted without realizing it. For example, I’m grown and I still expect mom and dad to always be there lol… and I’m so thankful they are.
4. I know some truly incredible people and I feel really blessed to call the people I call friends friends and fam 🙂 Luh y’all!
5. People aren’t always going to like me for me and it may have nothing to do with me. (Translation: People don’t always need a reason to not like you.) With people like this, I’ve learned to pray for them and keep it moving rather than losing focus and becoming distracted.
6. Being healthy isn’t as difficult as it seems. It starts in the mind because, “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). But… of course actions have to match up. I can’t think healthy and eat fried chicken and biscuits every day and never exercise. Basically, health is really practical and when we set our hearts on it and make up our minds to be healthy, I believe we will be. It’s cyclical. Thoughts will dictate actions and actions thoughts.
7. Trusting people can be difficult. But it’s so necessary for growth! I’m not talking in romantic relationships only but career, etc. We need to understand how to develop a healthy level of trust to keep moving forward.
8. Check yourself before you check others. You might still need to check someone lol but sometimes it’s “me”.
9. Listen to where someone is coming from first before jumping to conclusions or making assumptions. Because my assumptions may come from my experiences and it’s not fair to project them onto another person who acted in whatever way because of his/her reasons. This one is a work in progress y’all!
10. Not getting the last word is humbling. Lawd. Y’all feel me here?
11. Good intentions don’t make a person good or the outcome good. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
12. I appreciate the tough times in life. Of course I’m saying this on the other end of what I’d consider some pretty hard times lol But I haven’t forgotten how those times have pushed me, shown me myself, made me draw closer to God like never before.
13. It’s ok to do something different than what your parents think you should do. This is a part of growing up and into our own. Don’t get it twisted, I still respect and value my parents’ input. (Love you mom and dad! :D)
14. A man who desires to please himself more than God outside of marriage won’t honor me in marriage. This one is hard to grasp and it might be a bold statement but if he doesn’t honor God before marriage, isn’t he less likely to honor God (and me) after marriage?
15. It’s important to value yourself and know your worth. If I don’t know my worth, why should I expect others to?
16. Perspective is everything. Being able to change my perspective to a positive one helps me trust God and see that things will work out for good.
17. A grateful heart is a happy heart. People who can be thankful in all things, despite whatever non-good thing is happening, are likely to see more good in life.
18. I never try to overpack but it’s one of the best ways to pack. Haa. Y’all might not agree with me here but I never really see it as overpacking because options… and you’ll always have what you need.
19. Spend money only on stuff that I really want so I can have more to spend on the stuff that I really want and like.
20. I like people. I’m one of those people that genuinely likes people, meeting new people, hearing their stories, etc.
21. Get up and go! Travel. Experiencing a new culture is refreshing. Sometimes things don’t need to be super planned out.
22. I love massages. Going to the spa is one of the most relaxing things for me.
23. Comparison is an enemy to contentment. Firstly, you don’t know what that person has done and gone through to get where he/she is. Secondly, his/her journey just isn’t yours. Focus on God and where He wants you to be rather than comparing yourself to where someone else is in life. People who compare themselves a lot are more likely to be jealous of others or let their insecurities lead them.
24. God is my peace. I understand what Philippians 4:5-6 means when it says “peace that surpasses understanding”. Sometimes things don’t make sense but when you trust God, you really experience a supernatural peace.
25. Life happens. And it never stops happening. As I age (saying this sarcastically haha), it’s increasingly difficult to deal with life without God.
26. Work life balance is an always thing. Learned this one from my one and only big bro and so happy I did! Work life balance will look different in different seasons of life, sometimes I will be working more and life balance, i.e., social time or me time is just less. And other times, life will be more demanding than work.
27. I want everyone to know the love of God. Because let’s be real y’all, some of us are out here really broken and in our brokenness are breaking other people (knowingly or unknowingly). Am I adding to people’s brokenness or helping people heal? It’s sad to see so many people searching for peace and hope and happiness… stuck in depression, anxiety, identity issues, trying to measure up and they haven’t accepted the only one that can help them (God).
28. I need time to think. With no distractions. Away from everything and everyone. I love these times of peace and serenity.
29. Whole Foods is the best (grocery) store ever. Period.
30. You’re asking to be disappointed if you do whatever it is that you do to be recognized or appreciated. It’s nice to be appreciated or recognized but that shouldn’t be your motivation or goal. How are you impacting people where you are?

There’s my thirty y’all! For my lovely fellow thirty plus people, holler at me in the comments. I’d love to hear what you’ve learned. The good, the bad, the ugly, the funny. Youngins, i.e., anyone in their twenties, I want to hear from y’all too. (Jk jk on the youngins, I don’t actually think I’m old :)) Alright, peace and love and hugs, hope you took something away from this! ❤

With love,

Carin