Life Ends at Thirty

In a world filled with societal expectations and deadlines, age thirty often looms as a significant milestone, a point by which one is expected to have achieved certain milestones.

The narrative of owning a home, starting a business, finding your passion, settling down, and making it onto lists like Forbes' "30 Under 30" created a sense of urgency, as if life is a series of checkboxes waiting to be ticked off before the dreaded deadline of thirty arrives.

So, in my twenties, I spent most of my time hustling and chasing the career I thought I should have. I see age thirty as a deadline—the day I am old enough to call myself "old." And once I passed the deadline, I would be too old to chase my dreams.

If I couldn't achieve my dreams by 30, I'd be a failure as a human being—I would have failed my life.

And that was what happened.

I turned 30 in 2023, and at that time, it felt like I had failed my life and could only live as a mediocre salaryman and a self-proclaimed artist. I don't have a house, a car, kids, or anything else I thought I should have had by now.

I had failed, so I let go of all the expectations of "being successful at 30."

But the more I accepted that fact, the clearer it became – life does not end at thirty; it begins at thirty.

This age milestone brings a newfound sense of liberation – freedom from the shackles of societal expectations and self-imposed deadlines.

I can finally break free from the constraints of the "things that I should have" or the "things that I should have done."

I no longer have an age limit. I can do anything I want in life now.

I am free.

So here's to embracing life beyond thirty – a journey marked by self-discovery, liberation, and the unwavering belief that age is but a number and true fulfilment comes from living authentically and unapologetically.

Live on your own terms.

Do what you love.

Live without regrets.

I hope you find this post inspiring. Remember:

It's not going to be easy,
But it's not impossible.

Brian