What I've learned

A few days ago, I turned the big 3-0! I thought I'd feel a whole lot different leaving my "twenteens" behind, but in reality, I still feel the same way. Well, maybe not the same way because there are a lot of things that did change in me over the last few years of my twenties that, I think, is the preparation for me to accept aging. For starters, I can't jump as high anymore! I never felt the need to buy step stools/ladders despite my lacking of height because I jump high. A few months ago, I climbed up my kitchen counter to reach for a paper towel on the 3rd shelf of the cupboard which is about a a few feet away from my reach. I jumped down a few feet as well and I really hurt my shin. I didn't use to hurt my shin before... not even minded my shin at all! Now I have to think about climbing and jumping. Another thing is my forgetfulness. I mean, I have always been forgetful but not this bad that I constantly ask myself, "what was I doing again?" Ugh! The woes of aging...

But if I really think about it, aging isn't all that bad because as you age, there's more evaluated experiences you can learn from. Experiences... that's just something you don't have a lot of as a youth, but reaching my age, I am grateful that God has blessed me with so many successes and failures that I have learned from that stretches my faith in Him and my tenacity as a person. At 30, here are some of the evaluated experiences that I've learned from, which are also the reason why I am actually excited about going about my everydays, even if I have to add more numbers to my age and hopefully my daughter can learn from as she ages as well.

1. Love is a decision. And once you've decided, you will have to stick to that decision. If you don't, you didn't love at all. 

2. If someone gives up on you, accept it. Just don't give up on someone. It's a coward thing to do.

3. "The greatest possession one can have is an open mind" (this is a quote from someone but it's so true).

4. The greatest experience a woman can have is to be a mother.

5. You can be a mother without having to carry a child. Much like love, being a mother is a decision, decision to care for someone who is helpless and in need of guidance.

6. The greatest demise of a person being satisfied with mediocrity. You will never know what you're capable of unless you try.

7. Ignorance is not bliss! Choosing to be ignorant is stupid!

8. Omission is betrayal.

9. "You can be right, but you can also be wrong." (quote from someone)

10. Lying is the greatest threat to relationships. Close second is pride.

11. If you want to know the people who really loves you, open up a business. 

12. True friendship is hard to find because people are selfish by nature. You can't be a true friend if you are selfish.

13. The greatest gift you can give someone is empathy because it's not all the time you can relate to one's experiences, but having empathy will always mean you care.

14. Empathy is not flattery. It is being genuinely there for someone.

15. "People won't care how much you know until they know how much you care" (from the great John Maxwell)

16. To truly love others, you have to truly love yourself; and to truly love yourself is to grow yourself.

17. GIGO - Garbage in, Garbage out (computer language but so apt for people)

18. Trying means giving your BEST but the result is still not what you expected. Anything less than your all isn't trying.

19. Blaming your past, people, etc. means that you haven't grown yet. Embracing that, who you are right now is who you decide to be, is the first step to growth (Paraphrased from Darren Hardy).

20. Contentment isn't the same as mediocrity. It takes a growth to know the difference.

21. Being married will change your life - for better or for worse, you decide!

22. Having a child is the most difficult experience ever! "Because it's deciding to have your heart outside your body forever" (quote from someone, paraphrased)

23. Working smart is underrated. Working hard is overrated.

24. Most of the times, we keep on praying for opportunities but also keep on missing the answer to our prayers because we are not ready to what God had already provided. Sometimes, we are so wrapped up with the drama of asking/hoping/praying. 

25. If you want to serve God, be single. If you want to know God, get married! (from my friend Haley)

26. Having a daughter is like totally experiencing the song "This are a few of my favorite things"... she really will make you smile ALL THE TIME! 

27. Life is really short... really short to focus on the minors.

28. Choosing is difficult! That's why you have to have facts to support your decisions. Going on impulses all the time will never get you anywhere!

29. "Life is like school. It's full of lessons. You miss the lesson, you fail the grade, you repeat the grade." (From John Maxwell). Learn to evaluate what grade are you in in life.

30. Passion is the gas of life. If you don't have passion, you're missing out!

Okay, that's 30... For sure I have and will have more... What a life! :-)