Today's my birthday, I'm turning thirty-one.  I can't believe that that's my age and while I have felt a little apprehensive about my future in the last few prior years, this year I'm feeling different. I'm feeling hopefully about the year ahead, about the good things that the year will bring.  I can't wait for the special day, I'm like a little school girl.  I normally create a list of goals for the year ahead, but this year I want to capture the lessons that I have learnt over the years.  This past twelve months I have come a long way, I have grown in confidence, figured out a little more who I am and with each passing day I am finding more ways to love who I am.

Here are 30 things I've learnt in my 30 years.

1. Make eye contact with people and remember to smile - it makes a lasting impression on those you meet and makes you feel happy too.

2. Being in debt sucks big time! If your making a decision about something, and one option involves paying for it later, its probably not the best option, unless its a house.

3. I am stronger than I think I am, no matter what comes up.

4.  Watch what you say about others. Things always get back and if your spreading gossip or little white lies, you are sure to be found out and then only end up looking foolish.

5. People are fickle – not everyone who say that they are your friends actually turn out to be.

6. Make sure that you find the time to do something you love at least once a week.  Do something that speaks to your soul and makes your heart sing. If you don't know what that thing is - take some time to find out. Try new things, go on adventures.

7. Buy yourself the expensive items you love. Perfume, jewellery, makeup - but don't leave it sitting on your dresser. Use it every single day and enjoy every minute of it.

8.  Always be reading something.

9. If you persistently seek validation from others, you will inadvertently invalidate your own self-worth. — Dodinsky

10. Choose your battles. Not everything is worth fighting for. Sometimes the wiser choice is to let things go and decide that your friendship or relationship is more important than being right.

11. Sharing other peoples successes makes me a happier person.

12. Figure out what being successful looks like for you. I am still figuring this out but feel like I am making progress.

13. Hand written letters and cards are still the best thing to get in the mail.

14.  There is nothing wrong with being 31 and still a romantic at heart, even if you haven't yet found your prince. 

15. Don't forget to capture the beauty in your life. Look out for it, both in the big things as well as the small.

16. Even thought I have lived in three different continents, it is A OK to still be proudly South African. South Africa will always take up a huge part of my heart.

17. Being a part of a community adds value to your life. No matter how alone you may feel, you can always reach out to like minded people, who come from all walks of life.

18.  This lesson, has truly become a part of me. Its helped me realise that the life changing decisions that I made almost five years ago was the best I ever made.  It helped me to figure out why I felt the way that I did, and why I just couldn't continue on the journey that I was on.


19. No matter what has happened in your life, no matter where you've ended up, you can always dream new dreams. Don't be afraid to get yourself new dreams when your old ones don't turn out how you thought they would.

20. Being a real people pleaser, this lesson has taught me a lot.... not everyone is going to like you. They say a third of people will not like you, the second third can take you or leave, and the final third are those people who love you. That final third will become your family.

21. Variety is the spice of life. Don't be afraid to try new things. Recipes, holidays, jobs.....whatever it is, just go for it. You wont know until you try and just because you try doesn't mean you cant walk away from it if its not right for you.

22. Have fun in this life - its the only one you get!



23. Find your own daily positive affirmations and say them out loud - every day!

24. Life is about balance, and I have learnt that it is very easy for me to lose that balance. So I have found that to help maintain that balance I needed to figure out what that thing was that would restore my balance....and creating is what it is for me.

25. Don't give up on yourself - no one else is going to fight for you.

26. Don't judge people before you take the time to get to know them. You can miss out on great people because you didn't take the time for them to be who they are.

27. Sometimes things happen. Change is just a part of life and we can either look at it as an uncertainty or as an opportunity.

28. Art is art, wherever you may find it.

29. Always live within your means - this leads to a much more peaceful and stress free life.

30. Remember to tell yourself every day that You are Loved. Regardless of if you have a husband or not, a boyfriend or not, children or not, a job or not........no matter what is going on in your life - You are loved.



So, what lessons have you learnt that you would want to share?