30 Years, A Retrospective

Wow, has it really been two months since I posted last?  That’s unacceptable!  Of course, who knows if anyone still reads this, but we’ll go under the assumption that someone somewhere still does 🙂

While the last couple of months have been pretty eventful (not the least of which includes the last year of school, a new relationship, and the premature end of my 2011 race season), something happened on Saturday that will never happen again in my life: I turned 30.

I am an introspective man in general, but turning 30 has definitely had me thinking a lot about the past 10 years of my life.  It has been a crazy decade on many levels, and I gain a greater understanding of what I’ve gone through and what it means every day.  As an attempt to process that a little more, and share a little more of me with y’all, I am going to post over the next few days the top 30 things I’ve learned and 30 things I’ve done/gone through over the past 10 years (maybe at some point I’ll go a little further back and do this for my life 0-10 and 10-20.  Today, we’ll start with the top 30 things I’ve learned.

(DISCLAIMER: these are what I’ve learned, not what I think you should know/learn – please see no. 1)

(DISCLAIMER 2: If I am ripping these off from other places, it’s not intentional and I apologize. It’s because you/they said it and it stuck with me.  I’d give credit if I remembered where I read it.)

30.  Everyone should live overseas for at least a year.

29.  Scuba diving is one of the most humbling experiences.

28.  Life really does speed up the older you get (seriously, am I really 30 already?!)

27.  Letting yourself get out of shape is a horrible, horrible idea.

26.  Getting back in shape is really tough, but gives you a sense of accomplishment like few other things will.

25.  Don’t go looking for trouble.  Enough of it is going to find you without your help.

24.  A couple drinks can be fun, but don’t use them as a way to ignore what’s going on in your life.

23.  Embrace absurdity and awkwardness.  Everyone is weird.  Denying it is just foolishness.

22.  Raise a dog or two.  Man, there is nothing like a dog smiling at you and wagging her tail to make the worst day better.

21.  You, good music, and a motorcycle can make for some of the greatest mornings.

20.  Find hidden activities and events in every city in which you find yourself.  You really learn the personality of the city through them.

19.  Find something so beautiful you can’t breathe.  Whether it’s a Jordanian sunset, a Texas snow, or someone you love, be amazed and thankful you got to see.

18.  Be loud and passionate sometimes.  It’s fun 🙂

17.  Do a triathlon once.  The distance doesn’t matter.  It will change your life.

16.  The same is true for Crossfit.  It will change your life.

15.  When a family member is ill, move back immediately.  Don’t think twice.  Better to be there and nothing be wrong than to not be there and miss out.

14.  Don’t over plan.  Things have a way of changing in an instant (and some over time that we just don’t see).  Adapt with those changes.

13.  Sometimes people you don’t know and have only interacted with online can be as much of a community for you as those you’ve known your whole life.

12.  Read a book that makes you cry at least once a year.

11.  There are fears and there are FEARS.  From little ones like heights to big ones like rejection, they should be confronted and overcome.  It’s an ongoing process.

10.  Go big.  Even if you don’t hit the mark you can get some great stories.

9.  It’s okay to be weak.  No one is strong all the time, and weakness can be the best opportunity to see grace.

8.  Don’t be afraid to fail.  That fear can throttle your future.

7.  From the worst times of life, something beautiful can be born.  They say some things have to fall apart so better things can fall together, and they are right.

6.  Life can be tough, but it’s relative. Isolation just makes it worse.

5.   Be thankful.  Really.  It’s changes everything.

4.  You won’t be able to accept forgiveness unless you forgive yourself.

3.  The same is true for love.

2.  Family isn’t just blood, and trusting, while not easy, is one of the most rewarding experiences of your life (it is frightening though).

1.  I am mostly full of crap. If you get anything from this, it’s divine providence, not because of me 🙂