I remember watching the highly urban-lifestyle-inspired movie Turning 30, starring Gul Panag, a few of years ago.
I was around 24 or 25 at the time, and I remember thinking that 30 is such a long way off and also that 30 is a little old!
I think most ‘young’ people in their early twenties feel so.
Thirty is the age by which most people hope to ‘settle down’.
The biggest lessons I learned when I turned 30 are also those that helped me get a lot more sorted in my head and live a better life! Let me share some of them.
Eat what you want, when you want
As a child, meals were often divided into breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner. We looked forward to these four meals. In school, a bunch of us used to prepare to race to the school canteen much before the lunch bell was to ring--position and all.
After school and towards the end of college, ‘maintaining your figure’ became a priority. We watched what we ate and when we ate. This was around the time when ‘skinny’ was ‘in’. It actually caused mental stress to ensure that the food going into our mouth would not lead to weight gain.
A few years later, most of us turned health conscious. There was a phase when soya milk was considered “very healthy”; so we stocked up on it. Then, some reports came out saying milk is harmful for adults; so we stopped drinking milk.
Letting go and just being happy with whatever physical form you have is so much simpler and easier. It takes the stress away and leaves you happier. Really. Eat what you want, whenever you want; because if you want to eat it, you really won’t find satisfaction until you do!
We are not the same
We are made of the same thing, but we are not the same. Our reaction to everything around us is different. What makes you happy won’t make someone else as happy. We all have the same emotions, but don’t emote in the same way.
The sooner we realise this, the easier it is to deal with people and situations. We are not the same, so let’s not expect people around us to be like us.
Good and bad are yours to decide
The good and the bad around you are purely for you to decide. Make your own decisions and rules as you go along. There is a difference between what’s “good” for you and what’s “bad” for you; and then there are things that are pure evil. Stay away from the latter, and things generally turn out fine.
A little of everything is good…
Vices. What are they? A behaviour usually considered ‘degrading’ or ‘immoral’. As long as you don’t adopt vices that are life-threatening or potentially damaging to society or other living beings, a little of everything is generally okay.
Believe in things you want to
There is so much around you. So, believe in the things you want to, and don’t pretend to believe in the ones you don’t. Throughout your journey, you will definitely be told to believe in an array of things. But you aren’t obligated to!
Believe in God or spirituality. But believe in something. Because it is this belief that can give you a great deal of strength.
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