The Challenge:

Assuming that what my parents told me is correct, today is my last day on this Earth as a person in his twenties! At midnight tonight I will be celebrating my 30^th birthday, and my monthly challenge is to reflect on all of the great things in my life during the last ten years of being me.

My Reflectings:

I feel very fortunate to have grown up in a family and an environment which afforded me the opportunity to go out and make all of my dreams come true. This is a luxury which many people do not have, and I have come to realize that we should embrace on a daily basis the simple fact that we have an opportunity to live the lives we want to live… should we choose to do so, of course.

Now, by no means have I been successful in making all of my dreams come true, and in retrospect I admit that I made lots of mistakes along the way… but I did a lot of things well, too, and I hope to have set myself up for even more success in my thirties (touch wood).

1. Health and Wellness:

For those who knew me in the before times… I weighed almost 300lbs., smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, liked to party, and was generally not the healthiest dude on the block. Today, I’m happy to say that I have lost 100lbs. (give or take) and that I have not smoked a cigarette in 4 years. I feel and look the best I have ever felt and looked and have made living healthy the top priority in my life. I cook, exercise regularly, and learn everything I can about fitness and nutrition on a daily basis. I could not have don’t this without a number of wonderful people teaching and motivating me along the way. I’m looking forward to pushing my body to the next level as a thirty year old.

2. International Travel:

I have not stayed still for very long in my twenties… since graduating I have lived and worked in five continents while exposing myself to new ways of living, cultures, traditions, foods, and languages. I have loved each and every one of these experiences and I hope I left a positive impact everywhere I have been. There are many people who do not have this opportunity, and it’s one that I do not take for granted.

3. Language:

Amongst my proudest accomplishments was learning Spanish to an advanced level. Growing up I always told myself that I was no good at learning languages and that I would never learn one… but I guess I proved even myself wrong. Speaking Spanish has allowed me to meet some awesome people, grow as a working professional, and be able to travel more safely and enjoy my travels more deeply. It has literally opened the Americas to me in a way which was previously not possible. I think everyone should learn a second language, and I am motivated to learn more languages into my thirties.

4. Great People:

I have had the pleasure of knowing some truly amazing people over the last ten years. I have learned and grown so much from them and am grateful for all they have done and continue to do for me. I can only hope that I have been able to leave a positive mark on the people I have known along the way, too. I do believe that it is important to surround yourself with positive people in order to become the strongest version of yourself, and I’m lucky to have been able to do that in my twenties.

Looking Forward

There is so much more I could write about, so many more details to share, but it is difficult to fit ten years of life into one short blog post. Suffice it to say that I am pleased with where I am in my life. I know that I am in a privileged position where I have the opportunity to make all of my dreams come true and I am keen to make them a reality. I’m excited for what the next ten years might have in store and I look forward to sharing the journey with y’all.

See you on the other side of thirty!!!