I welcomed courage when I turned 33 in 2021. The courage to conquer fears, the courage to say yes to things I deserve, and to live life without hesitation. Most importantly, I wanted the courage to love someone as they are, unconditionally. I stepped into 33 eager, ready to use my voice as bravely as I could, stop self-sabotage and negative self-talk, walk into rooms as my full authentic self and live life courageously.
I wanted to see what it was like to dream without a timeline. I wanted to spend more time alone and let my feet guide me to the ocean, let my hands paint on canvases and let my eyes meet the soul of another. I wanted to be present for every hard moment, every beautiful celebration, every tough conversation, every daily walk when I murmured quietly to the sun.
This year was full of courage. This year was also full of bravery. This year was full of honoring my gut, being brutally honest and moving forward even when fear was nesting in the pit of my stomach. I showed up sometimes weak, most times incredibly happy, sometimes tearful, often heavy but always hopeful.
Here are the 34 things I’ve learned as I celebrate my 34th birthday.
Never let fear drown your joy
Nobody will understand your value until you value yourself
Treat losses as lessons
Stand your ground and welcome healthy confrontation.
Speak the truth even if it pierces the ears and heart of another
Go on walks especially first thing in the morning.
Let people help you because you aren’t meant to do it all.
Be aware of snakes in your garden
Tend to your garden often
Cherish the moment, time is fleeting.
Make time for friends and hold onto precious memories
Spend more time doing things that makes you happy
Your gut gives you answers. It always tells the truth. I promise.
Your heart will be broken but you will heal, always.
Life is impermanent so stop making things feel finite.
It’s okay to quit, you’re not weak if you do
Celebrate yourself often and always with flowers if you can.
Speak over your life with vision
Never stop dreaming especially during a full moon.
It’s okay to dwell in the unknown. You weren’t supposed navigate every season with ease.
Its okay to bend, it’s okay to break, there’s growth in the breaking.
Trust the process especially when it doesn’t makes sense.
Trust your hands. Your hands always have a story to tell.
Visit the ocean if only to speak to your ancestors
Remember that all good things take time.
The valleys teach you resilience.
The peaks, if short-lived, teach you all things are possible.
Your mind is your strongest asset, nurture it, strengthen it, speak beauty over it and affirm it daily. You are worth it.
Go to the woods to understand the power of silence
You’ll never have it all together
You’ll always be a work in progress
Routines matter, create them, stick to them as much as you can.
Give yourself grace
Allow yourself to fall in love and never touch the ground. Your heart deserves it.
While this year was full of contradictions, missteps, learning and unlearning, I’ve never felt more alive and aligned. The messy parts of my life have become the most honest parts of my life.
While I’ve felt lost most of this year, it was in those moments that the universe was asking to be brave, testing me if I really had “courage” to welcome a necessary change to become the better version of myself.
The unknown, no matter how uncomfortable, presents the opportunity to see yourself for who you really are. It’s okay to dwell there for some time.
As I welcome a day of self-care, rich conversations over wine with my closest friends, an evening with my beautiful lover, I smile at the simple nuances that life offers and the opportunity to spend time with people I love most.
I am the happiest, whole and complete that I’ve ever been and life is only getting sweeter.
Here’s to 34. I’m ready.