10 things I’ve learned since turning 30

The dawn of my 30s has been daunting but not without invaluable lessons

It is the age that signifies the beginning of adulthood; the innocent mistakes of youthful endeavour has now been exhausted; you are no longer young but not old enough to be equipped with the resources to travail the murky waters of adulthood — this is 30-plus!

1. Learn from elders

The vitality and arrogance of youth often aid the propensity to go through life unguided; while this could spark discovery and enlightenment, aimlessly going through life without a structure or guidance often leads to a derailment.

It is essential to seek the advice of those who have walked the path you are going through; experience is the best teacher.

Tap into the fountain of knowledge from those who have a proven record of reaching the peaks of the mountains you yearn to surmount; a life moulded from lessons learnt, adventures, and a tenacity to thrive through failures is an invaluable resource available to you.

2. Solitude is essential to optimising your personal power

‘The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude.’

Your solitude is the depository of your personal power. As I grew older, I found the value in loneliness; the essentiality of it in my development. Far removed from the distractions of a company, by getting acquainted with my self, I was able to engage in self-discovery, evoke self-awareness and critique, and find strength in self-preservation.

Solitude is not loneliness; it is freedom from the external, allowing you to garner the resources within then directing it to prioritise your interests when interacting with your surroundings.

3. If you’re not losing friends, you’re not growing up

Paths crossed in your journey through life help mould your journey: a compass to map out your life, necessary but yet disposable. It’s seemingly unhealthy to dwell on the futility of relationships, but I have realised the inevitability of the demise of most of them.

As views change, and in my attempt to reroute and realign, many friendships have been a casualty; not every passenger in your life will see the journey out with you.

4. Silence is not a sign of weakness

Silence isn’t resignation; it is a strategic deployment of intellectual resources in the face of provocation. A lot of energy is expended in engaging every provocative incident.

All energy is neither created or destroyed; it is transformed from one form to or another — so can it be transferred from one party to another.

You learn more by adopting a silent approach, a proverbial high road. By doing this, you absorb all the negative energy projected at you, refine it, and utilise it to work to your advantage.

5. Your thoughts become things

The law of attraction is real! We have been conditioned to suppress our capabilities to manipulate the universe in our favour; being one with the universe means by engaging with it, and speaking my desires to existence, I am evoking the universe to work towards the realisation of what I have wished for.

The science that sustains our existence also applies to maximise it.

6. Your health is your wealth

After dealing with my fair share of health scares, I have realised that my health should have a more prominent role in the definition of my well-being: your body is your temple

Compromised health, physically or mentally, can shake the foundation of your said temple; an understanding of your mental and physical state makes it easier to identify toxic elements that are harmful to your well-being.

7. You are your biggest asset

My individuality is what gives me the collateral to not only survive but to thrive. No one is better at being me than me.

8. Other people’s opinion of you is a reflection of them, not you

Everyone has a right to hold an opinion of you; you reserve the right to validate said opinions.

9. Humility begets humiliation

Perhaps a controversial one; but an extension of the above. Humility is overrated, as it serves to pander to the standards other people hold you to.

Humility precipitates familiarity, and familiarity, as we know, breeds contempt.

10. Honesty is the best policy

Whether it is with yourself or with others, honesty is truly the best policy. If you live your truth, no one can use it against you.

Deceiving yourself is like hiding behind the palm of your hand, hoping not to be detected.

The truth surely sets your free, as deception is unsustainable.