Getting older can be so scary in so many different ways. I mean, what am I supposed to expect out of something I've never experienced before?
So when Reddit user u/Painless_mf posed the question, "What did being 30 years old make you realize?" I knew the answers would be incredibly wise:
1. "That your 30s can sometimes be just the beginning of your life. More significant things have happened to me since I turned 30 (33 now) than the rest of my adult life."
2. "The human body is incredibly resilient, but it remembers what I did to it in my 20s, and now it’s out for revenge."
3. "At 30, I realized that coming home from a long day of work to a quiet house, a pizza, and a blunt was more fulfilling than any relationship, hobby, or event I'd ever participated in."
4. "The secret to happiness is low expectations. Not feeling forced to live up to the expectations of others. Not expecting yourself to put on a show. Just roll with things as they are."
"Walk away if they’re not fun. Low expectations make life a lot easier. Don’t worry about cultivating the perfect social life or the perfect personal life. Just don’t. Let it all go."
5. "That you never really feel like an adult. Most adults feel like they’re just faking adulting too."
6. "I didn't start living until I was 34. I ended a long-term relationship and moved out of my home state for the first time. I am a full-time nomad now, moving every week since October 2020, and I feel so alive. My twenties were kind of laughable by comparison."
7. "I am 60. I am in good shape for 60. I can keep up with my younger co-workers, but nothing like when I was in my 20s. When I tweak something, it could take weeks to recover from something I would hardly have noticed 35 years ago."
8. "Even though I thought I knew everything at 20, I knew fuck all. At 40, you realize that when you were 30, you were still pretty naive, but nowhere near as big a chasm as there was between 20 and 30."
9. "It made getting older sexy. I don't look at 20-year-olds anymore because they are not appealing to me. I appreciate the slight grays and the subtle laugh lines. You can tell who took care of themselves and stopped binging, like in their 20s. Maturity is a fine wine."
10. "At 30, I realized that playtime was over, and I really needed to get started building a life and preparing for the future. I had a good job and was earning pretty good money, but I wasn't accumulating any wealth at all. If I didn't make drastic changes, I wouldn't grow at all. I'd be in the same spot in another 10 years, so I started building and stayed with it. Life is SO much better now."
11. "How little people actually care about you unless you’re of use to them (like in the form of people pleasing and giving). You really have to learn to look out for yourself and figure out who is genuine or not. As an empath, overthinking, and sensitive person, it took me 30 years to realize not everyone was thinking about me as much as I was thinking about them."
12. "This is the body I have, and I don’t want to spend any more time trying to change it. I had a moment of realization the other day that I will never have my 'ideal' body because I’m simply not built like that. I’ve given birth to two babies and lost all the weight without trying. I regularly work out and enjoy it. That is enough for me."
13. "Turning 30 was great, like all the weird, messy, insecurity-fueled experiences of my 20s fell into place and I could just be comfortable as myself. It felt like I'd finally matured into my personality. Younger me might have been more memorable to the people around him, but current-day me is definitely the best version of myself yet."
14. "I unfortunately came from an abusive childhood, and no one taught me anything. I didn’t know how to clean, cook, drive, had no life skills, and didn't know what a healthy relationship was like."
"So I spent my 20s in a horrible relationship, and everyone thought I was lazy or stupid, or maybe both, for not knowing how to do anything. My 30s have been so much better, and I feel like I’m finally starting to actually live my life."
15. "When I turned 30, I began to appreciate that my life has a finish line. A few years later, I quit my law practice and became a boat captain."
16. "The strongest power I have is my absence. I can literally just leave. I don't like how someone is treating me; I can just go home. I don't like the atmosphere; I can just walk out. My dad is treating me like shit; don't have to contact him ever again."
"I have an awesome family with my partner and baby; my life is low-stress; and I have super chill friends. I feel super fulfilled in life. That took a lot of leaving people that weren't good for me."
And finally, this person shared words of wisdom that make aging feel just a little less scary:
17. "I thought I was starting to get old when I turned 30. Now I'm 38, and I wish I could go back and tell my 30-year-old self how young I was and how INCREDIBLE my 30s were going to be. Maybe it would have saved me a lot of anxiety, or maybe that anxiety and stress were all part of the journey."
Want to share the major realizations you had after turning 30? Let me know in the comments!
Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.