There are some fabulous things to love about your 30s and after having reached the halfway point, I feel qualified to share them. Whilst many of you may see the 30s' light shining in the dim and distant future ahead of you, there are others who might be looking back wistfully upon those golden years. So whether you're a prospective participant at the '30 Party', someone who's having a boogie at the '30 Ball' or indeed someone who left it a few years ago, here are some things to love about your 30s. Obviously I can't speak for everyone, but this is my experience of being flirty and 30 ...(ok, 35 but it doesn't rhyme!)
One of the things to love about your 30s is reaching a point where you know yourself much more than you did ten years ago. My twenties were tricky. It wasn't a hideous decade, but I certainly don't look back upon those years with 'rose-tinted spectacles'. It was a decade of 'finding myself', I know it sounds clichéd but it really was. I made some (ok many) mistakes but learnt from them and although I'm thankful for the lessons I have learnt, I don't miss my twenties at all. I feel as though I know myself much more than I did ten years ago. And whilst 'aging' is sometimes seen as a dirty word in beauty circles and as something to fear, it's actually a beautiful thing that should be embraced. Why? Because as you age, you reach a point where you have a better idea of what you want and what really makes you happy.
One of the things I love about my life now is financial stability. As we get older and become a little wiser with the wages, we can get to a point where we're more financially stable. And whilst I'm not exactly where I want to be, I have the capacity to be independent now, which is great.
As you get older, you realise who your real friends are. While I used to agonise about friendship groups and how to keep everyone happy for fear of losing friends, as you get older, you realise that there are people who will be your friend, no matter what. Friendships evolve, and there are some people who will fly the friendship nest, never to return. A sad but true fact. But there are those who will stay. In your 30s, you will know who your real friends are.
In my 20s, there was a lot going on and I actually loved the drama at the time. I have to say, I don't crave that half as much as I used to. I like the quiet life and I smile to myself when I hear my younger colleagues talking about their weekend events. Now, the drama in my life is largely fictional, played out on screens or on the pages of a book. And I love it that way.
This might resonate with many of you but in my twenties, I wasn't one hundred percent happy with my body. I almost had to grow into myself, learning to love my body for all the amazing things it could do rather than agonising over the fact that I would never be a size 8 (size 4 in the US.) And now a size 8 is not something I aspire to, as I wasn't naturally built that way! Besides, I love my food way too much. One of the great things about your 30s, is the ability to accept who you are and to love yourself.
This heading sounds like I'm a hermit and I'm really not. I love socialising and meeting new people. But in my twenties there was always this feeling that I HAD to accept every single social invitation for fear of missing out. Now I don't feel obligated to attend every single social engagement. I'm quite happy sitting on my sofa with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book. Whether that's part of being a member of the '30 Club' or the 'Dull Club' I'm not quite sure. And I don't really care! When you get older, you care a lot less about what people think and more about what makes you happy!
I used to find saying 'no' really tricky. Women have a tendency to want to please people and although that never fully goes away, it seems to subside slightly as you get older. I'm not afraid to say "I'm sorry, I don't think that will be possible". As you get older, it's more about pleasing yourself and although you don't swiftly morph into an uncompromising selfish diva when you hit your 30s, you're less inclined to be a people pleaser.
Obviously I can't speak for everyone but these are my experiences of my 30s so far. How are you finding your 30s ladies out there? Or what did you love about them? Do any of the points above sound familiar?