I recently celebrated my birthday!

I had a wonderful day filled with indulgence in lots of delicious foods that I haven’t allowed myself to eat in a while. Look at that Stuffed French Toast!!!

When I was younger I used to think that being “old” must be terrible.  I was totally wrong!

So far I have appreciated life during my 30s so much more than I did in my 20s.

A lot of that appreciation has come with natural maturity as well as lessons that can only be learned through living life.

Here is a simple list of a few of the things I have learned during the first half of my thirties…

1. Always wear sunscreen!
   That beautiful smooth skin will not stay smooth and beautiful for long.  If you keep getting “just a little burn” everytime you’re out in the sun, it will turn into something less than beautiful as time goes on!
2. Exercise is so fun!
   I hate to admit is, but before I was in my 30s, I didn’t see the necessity of daily activity/exercise.  I’m glad that this is a lesson I learned at the beginning of my 30s, and I plan to continue with this healthy lifestyle.
3. I cannot eat whatever you want and stay thin/healthy!
   I really wisht that this wasn’t true.  Unlike the exercise lesson, this one I just recently really learned and I am glad that I have finally learned how to eat healthy.
4. The book is always waaaaaaay better than the movie!
   I didn’t start reading for pleasure until I was 31.  It took me 31 years to realize that one of the most enjoyable things in my life could be found at the library!
5. Don’t say I don’t like a food until I have tried it.
   I have always been a very picky eater!  On my 30th birthday, we went out to a very fancy restaraunt for dinner.  Instead of ordering the food “without this” or “with this instead of that”, I decided right then to for once just order it the way it was found on the menu. That meal was one of the best I have ever had, and itchanged my eating/ordering habits.
6. People are NOT against me, they are FOR themselves.
   Stop and think about this one, this was an epic lesson!!! No one is actually working against me, they are working for what is best for themselves.  It is not about you, it is always about them.
7. Stop doing things that make me unhappy.
   I’m not talking about necessary responcibilities, I’m talking about the added stresses we put onto ourselves.  If you don’t want to do it, just say no.  Once you say “no” a few times it gets a lot easier to say.
8. Happiness is not determined by what is happening around you but instead by what is happening inside of you!
9. It is ok to distance myself from relationships that are not healthy.
   We all have them, those people who we feel obligated to hang out with even though we don’t enjoy being around them.  I refer to these people as fattning food/nap people.  Because after spending time with them I feel like I need to eat something fattening and take a nap.  Just because you have known someone for several years doesn’t mean that you have to stay “close” friends.  If you feel depressed and tired after spending time with someone, it is time to let that relationship go! I always tell my children, you can still be kind to someone without having to be best friends.
10. It is ok to be afraid, just don’t let fear be the thing that controls me.
    Be motivated by your fear to to things that make you uncomfortable.  Some things are not as scary as you may think they are.  You’ll be amazed at how strong you really are when your fear is faced and overcome. II Timothy 1:7 says “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

These are some of the lessons that stick out in my mind.  I am sure that there are lots and lots more, but I will save those for another post.  I’m so glad that every day is an opportunity to start over and learn new lessons!

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