35 Life Lessons on my 35th Birthday
5 years ago I shared 30 lessons on my 30th birthday and now I am back with 35 lessons on my 35th.
In the last 5 years I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone, grown my private practice, met incredible new colleagues and friends, traveled to parts of the world I never dreamed of, married my favorite person, moved to Brooklyn, gained a whole new appreciation for my Jewish identity and had a beautiful baby boy, Jonah.
As I reflect on the my 35 years of life, these are some of the lessons I have learned along the way:
Everything can change in an instant and change is ineventiable
Stop comparing yourself to random people on the internet, you have no idea what their lives are actually like
There is nothing like a thoughtful handwritten card
Taking medication and going to therapy isn’t a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength
Lexapro can be key to happiness (and less anxiety)
Lower your expectations (for everything)
You can’t change another person but you can change how you react to them
It is possible to reach a place of body neutrality and you don’t have to hate yourself forever
Listen more and ask questions
Don’t rush it, things will happen as they are meant to
Undereating almost always leads to overeating
There is no point in worrying about something that may never happen
When you become more flexible with food it translates to more flexibility in other parts of your life
Having pneumonia while you are 39 weeks pregnant will challenge you in ways you never knew and will likely lead to an unplanned c-section
Parenting gives you the opportunity to reparent yourself and rebuild the childhood you wish you had
Avoidance often leads to more anxiety
Make sure to get a yearly skin check because a tiny mole could be stage 0 melanoma
Babies cry because it is their only way to communicate
Owning your own business is really hard. Learn from your failures and be open to shifting directions when something isn’t working
Traveling and going out to eat is so much more fun when you aren’t obsessing over food
NYT has excellent recipes (even if their article headlines are wildly biased)
I don’t love to exercise but I almost always feel great after
It is completely normal for friendships to change and go through different seasons
Nothing beats a good sourdough bread and salted butter
Listen to your gut, it is usually trying to tell you something
Never say never … I did move to Brooklyn after all (emoji)
If you start feeling sad, get off social media
If you want to feel connected, play a game of Jewish Geography
No one will love your child like you do
It is hard to set boundaries and it is even harder to reinforce them but they are so important
One way to improve body image is to wear clothing that actually fits your body
You are your own best advocate when it comes to your healthcare so speak up
Learn how to be more compassionate with yourself and then practice practice practice
ADHD tax is real - look it up
Timing is everything
Which life lesson resonates? Let me know in the comments!