I have now reached the age of 30 and feel much happier about my life. It just feels more loved, emotionally stable, thoughtful and rewarding. I am really looking forward to it everyday, week and the years to come.
So “what made me feel like this” was the question I asked myself. Let me detail them in good depth so that it may awaken your thoughts as to why you should also love ‘you’ if you’re at a similar age or coming to one.
I have a lovely life partner
Yes, I married at the age of 28, and have been living with my wife for the last 2 years. We have been dating for 10 years prior to our wedding and have always lived apart, each one of us in our parent’s home. In the traditional Korean (or Asian) culture, it is a norm to live separately until the official marriage ceremony is done. We now sleep, cook, clean, talk and laugh together in the same boundaries more often than ever before. Many times we would spend the whole 24 hours beside one another and it still makes us happy, together.
I’ve experienced different environments, jobs, work and me
Through the last 10 years in my career journey, I have worked in 3 vastly different organisations (small, medium and large), in different jobs (accounting, logistics, shipping, and now procurement) and work types. Some would consider I have been moving around more often than I should. But I pound back on that statement and consider as a valuable experience as it gave myself an opportunity to dive into different areas and help find what best fits me. If I only stayed in one industry, one organisation and one job (not that it’s wrong), I would have always dreamed of what the other side of the world would look and feel like. Through these changes and movements, I’ve learnt what is right, what is wrong, how I should do things and how I should treat other people. It also made me learn about who I really am and hat are my strengths. I will never regret the time I’ve spent exploring different areas in my career life.You worked hard, you deserve to be who you are.
I have the freedom to do what I want
Any person’s life in their 10’s and 20’s are generally aligned with schooling and being with their parents or guardian. Then soon you know that feeling when you jump from high school to university and realize there really is no one reminding you on homework or things due, but rather just a penalty imposed for not doing so! Soon after, I became more proactive on the things-to-do and learnt from the mistakes. In return, it gave me the flexibility to do whatever I want, whenever I want and manage those choices from within. There are times where I seek guidance from my family and friends, however majority of the directions I take are a choice made by me.
I am not afraid of being rejected at something
I’ve always thought life is an upward trending experience, where by age, I would learn more, earn more, have more and do more. If you are reading this now, you’ll realise this is certainly not the case. I may have been thinking that way because I am a perfectionist in some ways but now I realise life is not like that. I think if you have not been through the ups and downs, you have lived your life too safe. Recently I have been going through many stages of slow, challenging and noise in life. I faced rejections by people through this process (although it might be just my mind that determined it as ‘rejections’). Anyhow this does not stop me from moving forward personally and professionally because my mentality is ‘never try to please everybody in the room’. If I do, that’s when I become them, not me. So my advice is don’t fear being rejected. Instead, just try it. You will achieve or not achieve. But at least you now know.
I am only 30
Yes that’s right, I am only 30. Life is short, but also long enough to do what I love, be with who I love and how I spread my love.