A Year Wiser

For the past 10 years I’ve thought getting older was a bad thing. Maybe it’s the fact that people always think I’m much younger than I am, that’s given me an age complex, but as soon as mid-February comes around every year, I feel a dark cloud creep above my head, raining on me all day, everyday, reminding me that I’m getting older. 

But not this year! I want to celebrate turning 35 a year wiser, becoming more confident in myself, in hopes of inspiring you to do the same!

A few things I’ve learned over the years:

My body doesn’t define me.

I shared my personal journey in this post, sharing my experience with eating disorders, excessive exercise (and a slew of other personal matters I haven’t quite gotten the courage to share just yet), but as I get older, I realize my body and my looks don’t define me. I’m so much more than what I look like, and over the years I’ve learned to place more value on what my body is capable of vs. punishing myself to achieve a weight or size goal.

Quality over quantity.

I’ve always loved to shop, and in my twenties, spending $80 a week on clothes at my favorite affordable store was my favorite thing to do on Friday night’s when the mall was empty. But as I get older, I realize how valuable it is to invest in wardrobe pieces and accessories I can wear (or use) for years and years that actually last vs. trendy pieces I won’t care for after just one wear.

I love who I am.

An intelligent but clumsy, highly analytical, girly-girl; non-athletic unless it involves soccer (which I’m kind of amazing at- must be the big feet?!), silly but also very serious and often overly emotional. I’m all of these things and more, and that’s just fine. Getting older means mentally growing and discovering who you are, every single day.

Stay tuned for next week’s video for Tips on Aging Gracefully.

I would love to hear from you! What important lessons have you learned over the years?