What is the best thing about your 30s?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-18-2004
What is the best thing about your 30s?
8
Sat, 04-02-2005 - 8:19am

In keeping with the last post on best of our bodies, and since I just turned a year older, What is the best thing about your 30s?

For me, I no longer feel like I'm pretending to be grown up. I'm a wife, I'm a mother, I've suffered loss, struggled, and prevailed, I've even gained. I have wisdom! I don't really care if everyone likes me now, as long as I'm true to myself.

I'm happy.

Hope you gals are too.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sat, 04-02-2005 - 11:30am

Hummmm.....thought provoking question!


I guess it's knowing who I am. There were things I put up with in my 20's that I no longer do in my 30's....I believe I'm a stronger person now, with more confidence in what I do.


Yea....I'm happy :-)

~IslandGirl


*** Moderation Is Key ***


_____________________________________________________

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-28-2005
Sat, 04-02-2005 - 2:53pm

Very uplifting questions! I like that the *Who am I?* phase I went through in my 20s is over. I know who I am, what I want to do with my life, and I am strong enough to advocate for myself. I would have been hesitant in my 20s to cut off a toxic-friendship or to speak up for myself because I worried constantly about offending other people. I also dropped the childhood baggage that almost everyone has. The stuff that happened when you were a kid that you were mad about but couldn't express etc. It's a good feeling when you can figure it all out and let it go.

I also like that I have my family now to enjoy. I met my dh and had our two children in my 20s so I feel there is nothing missing now in my 30s.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2005
Sat, 04-02-2005 - 4:43pm
I love the understanding that I'm not supposed to be perfect.
I too dropped a lot of baggage from childhood, and I am enjoying a new and very different relationship with my mother, which is giving me a different perspective on my kids that I never would have had when I was in my 20's.
I was just talking to my hubby this morning about a friend of mine who truly takes care of herself, she takes a nap with her daughters in the afternoon, takes time out every week to do something she loves, doesn't overextend herself or her family and truly enjoys her life, cooks healthy food even though it takes a little longer and spends hours at the library reading with her daughters. She said it all sort of came together the year she turned 40, but I'm trying to adopt that same nurturing self love before I get there.
Karen
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-21-2005
Mon, 04-04-2005 - 10:23am

This is a great question.
Well the sex is better (YEAH!).
I appreciate what I have. I'm thankful for my crazy-nutty family.
I'm stronger now. I know I have more knowledge then I did in my 20's but I also know I don't know everything. And I am just fine with that.
I don't fret over not having a husband or kids.
I accept whatever path my life follows.

Patrice

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-26-2004
Mon, 04-04-2005 - 11:38am

I think the main things is that I am no longer so afraid. I would welcome change in my professional life. I am also less afraid of failing, because I will learn valuable lessons through failures. But I am ready to accept success as well, because I put the effort in to earn it.

Personally, I am not really that concerned about what people think. I am also less afraid of being on my own again, although I love SO and would be sad if that happened, but I am more at peace in my relationship. I think we both are. We've come a long way.

I think the best thing about this decade is that we have come so far, but we have such an opportunity to grow even more in every area of our lives.

Lorie

lorie6-26-09.png Lorie 6-26-09 picture by runningwomen

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2003
Mon, 04-04-2005 - 11:59am

Wow.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2004
Mon, 04-04-2005 - 3:02pm

Wisdom would be at the top of the list. I was just telling my aunt that something happened between 31 and 32 where it felt like this light switch was flipped on and I just saw things differently. I also grew up and stopped carring what people thought about me to a large degree, however, I think that a bit of it is good to keep you always striving for your best. (I hope that came across the way I meant it). I stopped taking responsability for other people's offenses. If I believe that I really did hurt them, I appoligize, otherwise, I check my heart first and if I didn't really do anything wrong, then I realize it's the chip on their shoulder, not me. I spent more than a decade appologizing for other's insecurities and it's draining. This wisdom has helped since I've entered the work force to not take things personally and realize people have "junk" and try to dump it on you if you let them.

Another big one. I like having nice things and new things...but at what expense? I no longer think that I HAVE to have every new item that comes along and that there is NO quick fix to anything. Anything worth having takes work and patience.

Ginger

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-18-2003
Mon, 04-04-2005 - 3:32pm

In a word...EVERYTHING!!!

~~ Steffy ~~