Earlier this week I turned 30. That’s a big number, yeah? Except, it didn’t feel all that big of a deal to me. Not until others started making it so.
There were reminders from friends. “So, how does it feel to spend your last week in your 20s?” Moments that made me pause and think, “Oh yeah, I’m leaving that “2″ behind, aren’t I?” And, apparently, 30 is the age where people wish you “Happy birthday” only to follow it with a “Well, you don’t look a day over 27.” What’s that all about?
For all the lumps and ribbings that have come with the occasion, here’s the lesson I’m taking with me as I leave my 20s behind: My life at 30 is everything I thought it would and yet, nothing like what I imagined.
It’s a hard concept to wrap one’s head around but I feel like, as I talk to others who’ve newly entered this age bracket themselves, they all tend to agree with me.
Maybe it’s that we aren’t living where we thought we would when we pictured our 21-year-old selves turning 30. Maybe we’re in marriages we didn’t think we’d be in or maybe we’re single when we thought we’d have put a ring on it by now. And maybe the jobs we come to everyday aren’t the ones we got degrees for at 22 and 23. But that’s the thing about turning 30. At 25, we worry we’ll never have life all “figured” out. At 30 we’re old enough to know better. There is no sense in “figuring” life out because so much of it unravels beyond our control. Getting to 30 means coming to terms with the notion the best you can do is enjoy the ride. And that, my friends, is exactly what I’ve been doing. What I hope to continue doing as this new decade of life unfurls before me.
I’ll add what I’m loving most about this particular birthday is its accompaniment of complete and total security in who I am and my self-worth. Three months ago, I was letting other people’s ideas and thoughts for myself and my business influence the decisions I was making for the future. But, like a switch that’s been flipped, I turn another momentous year older and suddenly the only person’s opinion I’m really paying attention to is my own. It’s freeing and, in the end, may be the best gift of turning 30. Well, that and an incredible surprise party. Oh, and a new pair of buttery soft suede pumps. Can’t forget those! 
See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.
by Gail Werner
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