I am 29 years old today.
For someone who remembers growing up in a community of women who were perpetually "turning 29... again" this birthday seems to hold a little more weight than the rest. With that chorus of beautiful women ringing in my head it feels as if society has taught me, "This is it. This is the pinnacle of your existence. Embrace it because it will soon be gone."
And I'm greedy.
I want to live life in a way that I'm able to experience all the good things that are out there. I want to drink from the fire hydrant of experiences that year 29 may hold.
And I'm happy.
Happier than I've ever been actually. For the first time I feel as if I am in a place where I'm allowed to live life on my own terms.
And I'm scared.
I don't want this to be it. Yes- right now is great. But surely society is wrong. Surely there is life past 29.
I'm currently working on a Life List at Go Mighty. It's a place to give yourself permission to dream big with a community of like-minded individuals to support you. It's a place to be greedy, and happy, and scared. It's a place to allow yourself a chance to be bigger than you are... because you are... I am. I am much more than I allow myself to believe.
Yes, once I was shy but I have always been friendly and now I am confident.
Yes, once I was a bookwork but I have always loved learning and now I realize that should be a source of pride.
Yes, once I was a girl who grew up on a farm but have always loved exploring and now I can go anywhere.
Yes, once I was pursuing ten different careers for ten different reasons but I have always loved making things and now I am embracing the inner voice that was always there saying, "You are an artist."
My Life List is a space where I am recording the things that have been swirling around my head for a while. And some are big and some are small, but most of them are scary in that I've haven't allowed them to see the light of day. Since I have only recently acknowledged these goals myself, they are the equivalent to baby goals- tender, naive, and totally incapable of self defense.
So I'm planning on ringing in year 29 by inviting you guys to take a look at my list. That list is the road map, the plane ticket, and the golden ticket to looking forward to all the birthdays after this one. Check it out: Life List.