Life in 30

For many people, turning 30 years old is a significant milestone. To some, it marks the end of
youth, while others see it as the beginning of mature adulthood. Research presents a decade of life
marked by increasing stability as well as significant change. Some studies suggest that 35 is the “best
age” and that real happiness begins at age 33. People older than 100 years in overwhelming numbers
regard their 30s as being the best decade of their lives.

1. We must love.
You know the saying, “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” right?weknow,
we often dismiss cliches with a wave of the hand, but maybe it’s a truth we must love, even if it breaks
our hearts because, unless we love, our lives will flash by.

2. Love isn’t enough.

Although we must love, love is not enough to survive: we must take action to show others we care, to
show them we love.

3. Happiness is not for sale.

We can’t buy happiness. The stuff won’t make us happy, though not in the long run, anyway. At best,
material things will temporarily pacify us. At worst, they will ruin our lives: they will leave us empty,
they will leave us depressed, and they will leave us even more alone. The truth is we are all going to die,
and heaping our tombs with treasure will not save us from this fate.

4. Success is perspectival.
used to think was successful because had a six-figure job, friends and family could be proud of.
thought the house with too many bedrooms would make look even more successful, as would the luxury
car, the tailored suit, the expensive watch, the big screen TV, and all the trappings of the material world.
got it all, and sure didn’t feel successful. Instead, it was just perspective

5. Make change a must.

For the longest time, we knew we wanted to change: unhappy, unsatisfied, and
unfulfilled,weknewwedidn’t have freedom—not real freedom. The problem wasweknew this
intellectually, but not emotionally:wedidn’t have the feeling in my gut that things must change.weknew
they should change, but the change wasn’t a must for me, and thus it didn’t happen. A decision is not a
real decision until it is a must, until you feel it on your nerve-endings, until you are compelled to take
action. Once your shoulds have turned into musts, then you are ready for change.

6. The meaning of life.

Giving is living. The best way to live a worthwhile life is simple: continuously grow as an individual
and contribute to other people in a meaningful way. Growth and contribution: that’s the meaning of life.

7. Health is underestimated.
Our well-being is more important than most of us treat it: without health, nothing else matters.
8. Sentimental items are less important.
When someones close with us died. It was a difficult time in life, but it helped me realize our memories
aren’t in our things: our memories are inside us.

9. Your job is not your mission.

We worked so much that the rest of our life suffered. There’s nothing wrong with hard work, as long as
it doesn’t get in the way of life’s more important areas: health, relationships, passion.

10. Finding your passion is important.

Passion is not preexisting, which means you can cultivate a passion as long as you find something that
aligns with your principles and desires.