I just turned 30 years old a couple of days ago and let me just say at first I didn't take it so well. All my life I've been making plans, creating goals & working towards them so that by 30 I would be able to look back and say I've done a good job.   A month prior to my birthday I started to evaluate my life and realized half the things I said I would have done before 30 was not done and as you can imagine, it had me in a funk. I felt like I had been wasting time, time that I would never get back. Can you relate?   

See,  I've believed some of the popular myths about turning 30. You know  like if you're not married yet you'll never get married, you're at the height of your career and you should know exactly what you want to do with your life or you should have your dream house by now. 

Saw anything familiar above? Did you believe some of those myths too? Thank God for good friends who guided me through my funk and helped me to change my perspective. I began seeing things more positively and reassessed my life goals. I accept the things that I cannot change and the things that I was not able to do. I'm now embracing 30 and all the things that life has in-store for me.

7 VALUABLE LESSONS I LEARNED IN 30 YEARS

My twenties wasn't perfect but I enjoyed every minute of it. I also learned some valuable lessons during my twenties. 

• I've learned to not take things  so seriously, sometimes it's good to just laugh at yourself.

• I've learned that I'm not perfect and I will make mistakes  but it is important to acknowledge and apologize for the things I've done wrong as well as to accept apologies that I do not receive.

• I've learned to ask for help. Asking for help was one of the biggest issues I've had in my life. I always believed asking for help was a sign of weakness but I'm learning that I can't do all this on my own and that sometimes I'll need help from others.

• I've learned to appreciate my own Journey and to be grateful for all the blessings I received.

• I've learned to be kind to others.

• I'm learning to not overthink  things as much as I used to and to chase more of the things that I'm passionate about.

• I've also learned but there is a very thin line between being determined I'm being stubborn.

Since I am embracing 30, i’ve made a bucket list of things to do before 31.

1. Travel alone.

2. Learn a new language.

3. Visit a vineyard. 

4. Go zip lining.

5. Go camping.

6. Go whitewater rafting.

7. Go paragliding.

8. Start a charity.

9. Travel to a new country.

10. Sign up for a 5k.

11. Invest in a nice handbag.

12. Have a girls trip.

13.Test drive my dream car.

14. Conquer one of my biggest fears.

15. Sign up to be a mentor or spend some time volunteering.

16. See your favorite artists perform live

17. Drop one habit that is holding me back.

18. Increase my income.

19. Do something adventurous.

20. Open my store.

21. Have more fun.

22. Spend more time near water

23. Cut down on spending.

24. Pay off my credit card.

25. Go offline more often.

26. Stop putting off medical necessities.

27. More self care. 

28. Take a class in something that interests me.

30. Own a home.

31. Step out of my comfort zone.