29 Things I Learnt When I Was 29

This was a big birthday, as I turned 30 it meant an end to an entire decade. 20s are always the most spoken about- songs, shows, movies with characters in their 20s navigating the jungle of life. However, not much is said for the decade of 30s - well that is for another blog post. My 29th year was like a crash course at life - job change, moving cities, getting married, dealing with health scare of a loved one, everything all at once. The universe thought just in case the predecessors to this year did not make a point, 29th year will truly drive the lessons home and stuff it all for my toolkit to carry into my 30s. So here are 29 things I learnt when I was 29 -

1. You can be wrong, and thank god for that. It is humbling to have your preconceived notions broken down.

2. It is okay to change your mind, you don't have to feel like you betrayed a past version of you.

3. It is hard to understand someone else's decisions as you have not lived their life.

4. Don't be afraid to be happy. When there are good moments really milk them, they are so precious, make the best out of them.

5. There are no perfect choices. If there is the biggest lesson that my 20s were trying to teach me, it was this. I have always tried to make the 'best decisions', 'best choices', spending time and energy obsessively thinking about it, but they do not exist. (Cue: Mean Girls - The limit does not exist )

6. Every moment you spend overthinking, you take away from moments where you could be free of the mental gymnastics. Make a decision and move on. Think that this was meant to be at this point on time. If you screw up it is okay, most mistakes have a solve.

7. If you are not feeling okay mentally, eventually at some point your body will follow suit and go into a hibernation mode where you will not feel like doing anything. Take care of your mental health, recognize the early signs - talk it out/take a break/seek professional help.

8. Food really has a way of transforming your mood. Nourish your soul.

9. Following someone's else's path to the T may not lead to the same results. Everyone is unique.

10. Things that you thought would make you happy/solve all your problems will not necessarily do so. I ended up in a career at FMCG post MBA which was a dream, but it did not make me as happy as I thought it would. Long lasting happiness does not come from achievements but intangible things like physical & mental health, friendships & balance in life.

11. My authentic self wants to live a slow, mindful life. I did the hustle of travelling ~100-300km. everyday, dealing with difficult personalities & conflict on a daily basis, eating and sleeping on the go, while I learnt a lot during that time, I recognized that this was not long term for me.

12. It truly is the journey and not the destination. Every single detour has brought experiences or people into to my life which my imagination would not have been able to concoct. Like the yin and yang symbol, in everything dark there is a little glimmer of light. The takeaways are a mystery.

13. Friendships are a gift - cherish them, treat them like new house plants - give them attention & care they deserve. My friends got me through last year in countless small and big ways. You also win some and lose some on the way, let it happen gracefully.

14. Spending time with cats is magical and they are so cute. There is so much to learn from animals, they communicate so much without using words.

15. The Konkan belt is so beautiful - underrated beaches like Ganpatipule, Malvan, Anjarle, Dapoli; non-mainstream Maharashtrian food like thaalipeeth, amti, zunka bhakari, bharli vangi, soul-kadi; lip smacking mangoes - Ratnagiri, Devgad Haphus, rainy season like I have never witnessed before, scenic drives, curious friendly folks and general charm of Indian small towns. I want to believe that people for most part are good and want to help one another - we are just walking one another home.

16. I fell in love with the Goa life - not the raging touristy party life but the hinterland village life. I have a very good friend Srishti who I would stay with when in Goa for work and we had the best time soaking sun in the morning, vegetable shopping on weekends, finding new coffee hunts and sunset spots. Some day I would want to live in Goa for an extended stretch. A dip in the sea is an antidote to anything. You cannot be deeply unhappy with waves lashing at your feet.

17. To have a perfectly functioning body is a blessing - instead of labelling the body as fat or thin, be grateful for its ability to carry you through life. Something as simple as being able to taste food or walk on your two feet wherever you want. The human body is intricate, every cell in your body is working for you.

18. If you feel like you need immediate medical help, action on it. Always err on the side of caution, an advantage of living in India is the ease of the availing medical facilities.

19. Invest in a good quality health insurance for yourself and your family.

20. Urgency in corporate world at times erodes empathy, no one will remember in 10 years the project they were working on but they will remember how someone treated them. It is so important to be kind to one another.

21. A good night's sleep can alter the quality of your day.

22. Don't make decisions when you are tired. It is okay to want time.

23. Wedding day is one day in your life - while it is important it is not everything. You have an entire life ahead of you to make memories. My wedding was imperfect but memorable nevertheless. I will write a separate piece on this.(Cue: Pam's mental pictures)

24. Eat more protein. Period.

25. Be unapologetic about rest. Imagine human being is like a rubber band that gets stretched every time stress is applied to it, then there comes a point beyond which if stress is applied the rubber band will get deformed and not return to its original shape immediately (Hooke's Law). Take rest, be a homebody, you do you. No expectations on when you should be up and running.

26. Sometimes all you need is unwavering support from people you love, and you will move mountains.

27. United Way Garba in Baroda is an experience of a life time.

28. The biggest rule in any romantic/non-romantic relationship is to live and let live, give someone the freedom to be their authentic self and watch them bloom.

29. Make time for things you love, they are your anchor through all weathers of life.