Thanking My Thirties

So I’m still in my 30’s whilst I write this….just by a day and when I post it, I will officially be 40 by a day!

I’m happy. I’m celebrating in a hot country and enjoying some beautiful sunshine and heat on my birthday, rather than my usual cold/rain/snow that usually befalls my special day! I live in Scotland so I’m certainly not complaining as I love it but turning 40 I wanted to be in the heat, so here I am!

Turning 40 doesn’t worry/scare/sadden or destroy me! I accept it and embrace it! I’m lucky to be alive, to have wonderful people in my life! I’m happy and with age comes wisdom….right?

I’ve come up with a mantra for this transition from the 3’s to the 4’s. I may have take in directly from Scream 4, but I think it works! ‘New decade. New rules.’ What do you think?

I’m not looking to break laws or do anything crazy or silly, however I am giving myself permission to change things up as I wish and what feels right and beneficial to me! You have to do what makes you happy and I think this is the wisdom part I’m talking about.

Anyway, I wanted this post to be about thanking my 30’s for all it gave me. I loved them, I got engaged and married, I learned a lot, I made some amazingly awesome friends, I got my HR qualification, I’ve moved house a few times, I moved jobs a few times, I did the Edinburgh moonwalk, I started my own business, I started yoga and running, I started this blog, I tweet, I moved towns, I commuted, I joined a book club, I found a great Pinot Grigio, I’m learning Spanish, I became a Godparent, I read loads of books ….ok you get it! A lot has happened and this is just a tiny piece of it!

The truth is, the decade seems to have slipped through my fingers, I remember big chunks of it but a lot of it, the time has passed as I’ve gone about my daily life…get up, go to work, come home, eat and go to bed and do it all over again! Nothing wrong with it and I’ve certainly enjoyed most of it, but how quickly time goes!

One big thing my 30’s gave me was anxiety! I struggled a lot at times and had to seek help on a few occasions, it helped to move me forward and be a new version of the ‘old me’. I’d say I’m tougher now than I’ve ever been, cos let’s face it, anxiety pushes you hard! But I think a lot of where I am now and who I am stems from those worst points in anxiety filled me, I know I can cope with far more than I think and it’s ok to want to hide under a duvet. But getting out from under it and facing those challenging anxious times has given me great strength and I refuse to let it win! I keep pushing forward!

I’m thankful that I got to do so many great things, sometimes on my own and other times with fantastic people.

Thank you 30’s for allowing me to open my mind further and understand what I need to do for me, to make me happy and to not shy away from challenging situations. You have made me realise that if I want something badly enough then I will put myself into an uncomfortable situation just so I don’t miss out. To me, this is the strength you taught me. Thank you.

From that, I’m thankful for the ability to say ‘no’ to situations that I do not want to do or I don’t think the outcome outweighs what mental push I need to do it. Most of these are social situations. Don’t take offence if I ever say no at these times, it’s not personal.

Being me. I’m thankful that I’ve learned to just be me and not cover up who I am. I like me, I’m funny, sarcastic, silly, adventurous, caring, kind and will help push you to do something that you really want to do.

Finally, but certainly most importantly, I’m so thankful to my husband, family and friends. I appreciate all they do and bring to my life. So thank you. Life without you guys wouldn’t be half as much fun! The adventures we have, the mischief we get up to, the challenges we do and the fun of getting together and being us! We are who we are and most importantly we are ourselves! Love you all! ❤️😍

Whatever my 40’s have to throw at me, my 30’s have helped to prepare me in some way for sure!

So, if you are heading into a new decade, congratulations and enjoy. Don’t worry, you are going to have a great time and your previous decade will have most certainly given you some pointers!

Thank you for reading, have a wonderful week and look after you!

Love Emma xx 😁