On Tuesday I turned 30. Chris bet me that I would have a major psychological breakdown questioning “what I am doing with my life?” with the big 3-0 approaching, but so far I am freak-out-free.
Most likely it’s because I spent my birthday in Hawaii.
Or maybe it’s because I no longer believe my job defines me and must fulfill me completely the way I did in my 20s. When I first got out of school I believed my job had to be important/cool/noteworthy for me to be successful and confident, which as I write that seems almost too ridiculous to share (but it was true at the time). On top of that craziness, when I left the safety blanket of university I put all the pressure of “what am I doing with my life” on my job, hoping it would fulfill me in every way (not just monetarily) which I now believe is an unreasonable and impossible expectation to put on work (no matter how much you love your job).
Or quite possibly, it’s because the reason people become happier as they age (SCIENCE proves it!), is because they stop giving a shit about what people think of them, and when done in a positive way, that is beautiful and liberating for the soul and leads to genuine happiness.
Obviously I don’t have the answer, but I think my lack of emotional meltdown is due to a combo of all those things. Relaxed on a secluded beach, no longer obsessed with work and instead focused on enjoying what really matters in life (family and friends), and most of all not wasting energy on what others think of me, was the perfect mai-tai combo for sanely entering my 30s and believing it’s the start of something fabulous.
So to friends out there having a big birthday this year, cheers to you and getting older, and to giving more of a shit about the important things, and less of a shit about everything else!
[Top portrait by one of the Aloha Boys, Marcus Jolly, on the final day of my 20s]
