30 Things Courtlin Has Learned in 30 Years

Happy birthday to me!

On Monday, May 3rd, I will officially turn 30-years-old. At first I was a little depressed about the death of my 20s, but now I'm looking forward to a decade of *hopefully* feeling as confident and positive as I do right now. I'm in a really good place mentally, I have a job I love, I'm surrounded by a small circle of loyal friends and family, I've got a cute little house and a cute little dog, I have my blue belt in Jiu Jitsu, and I've got a trip to Ireland planned for 2022!

In the past 30 years, I've learned a lot of important lessons, ESPECIALLY in the last five years or so. In honor of my 30th birthday, here are 30 lessons from my 30 years:

1. Good friendships are hard to come by. Maintain them!
2. Not everyone is going to like you. Get over it.
3. Take criticism from people who care about you, not strangers on the internet.
4. If something feels wrong, there's a good chance something is wrong. Trust your gut!
5. Be happy for the people you love when something good happens to them, even if you're jealous it didn't happen to you.
6. Don't ignore red flags. They're not going to magically change color.
7. Stop comparing yourself to everyone all the time. Embrace your differences.
8. Never beg someone to be with you. It's a waste of everyone's time.
9. Always bring a pair of comfortable shoes.
10. Honesty is usually the best policy, but there are nice ways to be honest.
11. Actions speak a MILLION times louder than words.
12. When a friend asks for help, you help them.
13. Being single is NOT the worst thing in the world.
14. It's ok to change your mind later when you're presented with new information.
15. It's better not to say anything when you're super angry. Walk away and come back to the conversation later so you don't say something you regret.
16. Being able to laugh at yourself is so important.
17. You'll feel better after the workout, even if you really don't feel like doing it.
18. Cherish your relationships with your parents/grandparents. You don't know how much time you have.
19. People aren't judging you as harshly as you're judging yourself.
20. Stop pursuing narcissists.
21. GO TO THERAPY.
22. If you love yourself first, you're less likely to settle for the wrong person.
23. It's ok not to be good at everything. Embrace your talents.
24. Admit when you're wrong, even if it really, really sucks.
25. Getting your butt kicked a few times makes you a stronger person.
26. It's ok to let toxic relationships go. Your peace is important.
27. TALK IT OUT. Have the difficult conversation. Don't wait until you're at your breaking point.
28. If you say you're going to show up, show up.
29. If you need help, ask for help, no matter how embarrassed or ashamed you feel.
30. Kindness goes a long, long way.

I'm looking forward to my "next 30 years," as Tim McGraw would say!