TURNING 30 SUMMARIES - ABOUT LIFE

Many years ago, out of some strange epiphany I had, I decided to write down my expectations for myself when I eventually turn 30.  Although I am always a believer that being present is of upmost importance in enjoying youth, I thought it would be good to set up little targets and milestone checks, something to aspire to.

I eventually opened the letter again a few days ago, and my first impression was “Man, my handwriting hasn’t evolved!” But other than that, I'll tell you this; if you're not convinced whether you have grown at all in the past decade, doing this is a surefire way to prove otherwise. 

I’ve cropped excerpts of the letter here to share, except some paragraphs that I thought was so embarrassing that no one other than the writer should ever read it again.

It started off rather innocently. You can see how vanity was very evident in the earlier years of my twenties. (cringe)
Yes, I suppose SK2 really does work.
No, I don't have a treadmill at home.
(more cringe-worthy stuff)
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Good God woman, that is a whole lot of discussion on products (and yes, I do use Touche Eclait now hahaha).
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It turns out that I do like my job(s) now, and I did become a published writer. And I'm glad the younger me had the same sentiment about money as I do now. I obviously was not thinking about retirement savings at that point of time.

​Silly gal.
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Next, I went on about how I expected myself to be more involved in community work. Honestly, I am not doing enough volunteer work or contributing as much as I thought I should. Something to improve on as a way forward!
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Apparently, I was also psychic. Here I discussed the pros of my current life status, as though I knew exactly where I'd be when I'm 30. It was also a very long, detailed write-up about how I should be enjoying it.
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It became very apparent in these paragraphs that I was afraid of giving up my independence, something I still struggle with today.
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Hey, 23 year-old me. I still agree with everything you just said here! (*tear*)

"And I also don't like to make sacrifices and compensations..." Wow. I was pretty selfish when I was younger.
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Happiness truly is key. It was true then and it is still true now.

It is insane to be 30. INSANE! Although a birthday is nothing but just a numerical milestone, it feels that I am so far away from that same girl who wrote those letters. So much has happened, and I could never imagine ever being that same girl of 23 again. I saw things that left me starry eyed, I did things I never thought I had the capability of doing and most importantly, I met people who had tremendously changed my life.

Now that I am on the other side of the twenties, I guess what I’d say from my experiences is… don’t wait. If you want to do something, go for it. There will never be a better time. If you find something that gives you joy, don't give them up. You might never get the opportunity again. Some things in life really do only happen once.

Don’t wait.


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