Teens are when you believe you know it all and in actually know very little (or nothing). The early 20s are the years of making and often repeating mistakes as you struggle to find your path. The late 20s have a more solid foundation, although many questions remain unanswered you become more confident in who you have become. 30 doesn't intimidate me, I enter this decade knowing who I am, knowing what I believe, confident in my passions, and loving who I have become.
30 lessons learned in 30 years:
1. Keep God at #1.
2. Hold your head high, not your nose. Humility is very attractive.
3. Surround yourself with greatness for you become like the company you keep. Invest richly in those you admire. Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the encouragers.
4. Friendship isn't about convenience, it's about effort. Like anything of worth, relationships require diligent work.
5. Listen to your mum. She's wiser than you.
6. Prayer might not receive an immediate answer, but prayer is always the answer. Pray often.
7. If someone offers to teach you something always say yes (especially if it is your grandmother).
8. Be intentional to love where you're at, be grateful for every chapter, and not spend your days wishing for ones that lay ahead. To my single ladies - Don't settle because you become weary of waiting. You value most what you wait patiently for and seek earnestly.
9. When you say yes to the honor of being a bridesmaid, realize your responsibility is to assist and celebrate the bride. Don't complain about the dress/shoes or cost. Also, no one cares if your hair isn't perfect, the day isn't about you.
10. Memorize scripture. Life will cut you, ensure you bleed truth.
11. This world offers far too much to ever be board. Explore and discover as much as possible.
12. Be creative. The more you use it, the more you'll have.
13. Your mouth speaks from that which fills your heart. The prettiest thing to paint on your lips are kind words.
14. Don't spend time wallowing in the past, confidently know that what was meant for you will never miss you and that what misses you was never yours to keep.
15. God is always doing 10,000 things in your lift and you may only be aware of 3 of them. Trust him. For his plans are higher than your plans.
16. In the words of Prefontaine "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I do not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”
17. Seek respect, not attention. It lasts longer.
18. Real faith isn’t a hopeful wish. Real faith is making the decision that no matter the outcome, we’ll choose to see it as God’s perfect answer. Through the good. Through the not-so-good. And even through the down right awful – we will trust God. Now, this doesn’t mean we won’t cry and express hurt. It means we’ve decided it’s better to have lived trying to take leaps of faith with God, than to walk away from him.
19. Set goals. It fosters accountability, discipline, and determination.
20. Experiences make you richer, invest in travel. Learn how to use a map, a compass, and how to pack light.
21. Dating should be fun, if it isn't, you're doing it wrong.
Your partner should bring out the best in you, they should challenge you, inspire you, encourage you, celebrate you, excite you, motivate you,
22. It's better to be overdressed than underdressed. But on those days you have "nothing to wear" go with jeans and a white tee.
23. Expectations are self constructed and subsequently so is disappointment. Instead, allow yourself to be surprised.
24. Tell the truth. A true friend will tell you a uncomfortable/painful truth about yourself with kindness. Accept gracefully. BUT recognize that those who speak "truth" to shame and embarrass you aren't true friends.
25. Assess your crush's character by inserting his name into 1 Corinthians 13:4-6. "Bob is kind and patient. Bob does not envy or boast. Bob is not arrogant or rude. Bob does not insist on his own way. Bob is not irritable or resentful. Bob does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices with the truth." Assess your own character by inserting your own name...check yoself before you wreck yoself.
26. You only receive one body. Love it, respect it, and challenge it. (On that note, use sunscreen daily and hydrate)
27. Find people who make you laugh.
28. There is nothing wrong with loving the crap out of everything. Negative people find their walls. So never apologize for your enthusiasm. Never. Ever. Never.
29. Be a pitcher. The beautiful thing about pitchers is that the more they pour themselves out the more space they have to be filled. Be generous with your time, your resources, and your wisdom.
30. The best things in life are free... Play outside. Go for a run. Jump in a lake, a river, an ocean. Take a nap under a tree. Climb a tree. Climb a mountain. Do cartwheels in a park. Laugh until you cry. Share a hug, squeeze tightly. Catch a lizard, give it a name. Soak up the sun. Throw a football, a baseball, a Frisbee. Meet a stranger; make them your friend (use good judgment). Fall in love. Build a fort. Watch for shooting stars. Write a love note. Help a stranger with yard work. Sing every Disney song you can remember. Swing in a hammock. Kiss deeply. Swing on a tire swing. Pick wildflowers. Teach your child a new skill. Make a friend who can teach you a new language.
Cheers,
Quinn
Pride results in arrogance. Pride tempted me to make excuses and sing of my prior successes. Failure with humility reminds me of my dependence upon my Savior. There is a lot to be learned from failure, I won't waste the opportunity to grow in the unfamiliar and scary territory. God made His decision about me (and you) long ago - He is crazy in love with me (and you)...regardless of my test results! 
