Bye 20s! Hello 30s!

The 20s! What a decade they’ve been full of growth, lessons and self-discovery! I choose to walk into my 30s with an expectant heart, ready to embrace the beauty of change, the peace of growth, and the adventure that lies ahead.

My 20s were my first glimpse of adulthood, so much happened and I’m grateful to be here.

Here are some lessons, in no particular order, that I learned in my 20s and will definitely carry with me into my 30s and beyond.

1. Self-awareness is important- know who you are and what you stand for, outside of what you have been conditioned to believe. If you know who you are you won’t be easily swayed by the opinions of others.
2. Give yourself grace- you are going to make lots of mistakes along the way, don’t be so hard on yourself. You are a work in progress.
3. Celebrate small wins.
4. Allow yourself to be vulnerable- vulnerabilty is not a sign of weakness. Acknowledging your weakness is a great sign of strength and an intention to grow.
5. Apologise when you are wrong- you are an adult, own up to your mistakes and apologise instead of trying to justify your actions. There is a lot of growth in humility and accountability.
6. It’s not your job to fix broken people- you are not a rehabilitation centre. This might sound harsh but unless that person is committed to their own healing and growth, there is no amount of love you can give to fix them.
7. Until Jesus Christ is enough for you, no person or thing ever will be. You’ll only ever find completion in Christ, not in other people or things. If you try to fill that void with people or possessions, you’ll only end up disappointed. Having a job is nice but you still need to prioritise yourself, take your days off, rest and do what you love. Your well-being matters as much as your job.
8. Stay away from people and things who drain your soul. Life is too short to waste on people and things that don’t nourish your soul.
9. Forgive- this is a hard pill to swallow but you have to do it.First, forgive yourself for all the times you let yourself down, and then forgive others. Forgiveness helps you to move on and not hold onto the bitterness of the past.
10. Be intentional about your healing even from things you don’t talk about. Confront your traumas and triggers head on and choose to heal from them. Healing doesn’t happen overnight but being intentional about it is the first step in the right direction.
11. Only carry what you can, don’t overburden yourself
12. The world doesn’t stop because you’re in pain; you’re still expected to show up. In moments like these, please remember to be kind to yourself
13. The sun will rise again and you will be fine- despite whatever darkness and turmoil is going on around you, things will get better and you’ll be happy again.
14. Delay is not denial- what’s meant for you will come to you at the right time
15. Never settle for less than you deserve, in every aspect of your life. You deserve good things.
16. God is real and He heals.
17. Don’t ever shrink yourself to fit into spaces you don’t belong. Those who care about you will accept you for who you are.
18. Learn to say NO and mean it.
19. Be intentional about making yourself happy- don’t wait for others to do it for you; your happiness is your responsibility.
20. Not everyone will like you, and that’s okay. Stay true to yourself.
21. Bullying doesn’t end in primary school; you’ll encounter bullies in many places—at work, in church, and sometimes even within your family. Learn to stand up to them.
22. From time to time, do something that makes your inner child happy—whatever it may be. Life doesn’t always have to be serious; live a little.
23. Read in your spare time; you’ll be amazed at the many things you’ll learn from it.
24. Let go of what you can’t control.
25. Family is everything; they are the ones who support you, love you unconditionally, and shape who you become.
26. Don’t give up on yourself no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. Give yourself chance after chance until you finally get it right.
27. Always speak positively to yourself.
28. Your heart will break, but you’ll be fine
29. Who you really are is revealed by how you treat those you think are below you, not by how you treat those above you or at your level.

As I step into this new chapter of my life, I carry these lessons with me as a reminder to embrace the journey, stay true to myself, and trust that each experience is shaping me into the person I am meant to be. The best is yet to come, and I’m ready to walk into it with an open heart, faith, and gratitude for every step along the way.