If you are on social media you'll see a lot of people write out the number of lessons they have learned for their age.

I won't do that. That would bore me and you lol.

Instead, I am going to talk about a rule I made for myself when I entered my 30's last year.

I hate rules, and break a lot of them a lot of the time, but this one is good for you I promise.

What is it?

It goes something like this...

Don't apologize for being you. Don't apologize for making decisions that were in YOUR best interest. Don't apologize for changing your mind, changing your plans, changing anything about your life in a heartbeat.

Why did I make this rule?

I spent so much of my childhood and 20's explaining myself to people. Justifying "why" I did certain things, or "why" I was chasing a certain goal or achievement.

The reason I did this, is the same reason you do it, social approval.

We want to be accepted.

Yet, the more I lean into who I am meant to become, the more I read/write/podcast/work .... the less I want to be accepted by the whole...

and the more I crave to be accepted by myself.

Don't like my emails? Unsub from them.

Don't like my social content? Unfollow.

Don't like my podcast? That's a shame because there are really solid guests that can help you... yet nobody is forcing you to listen. It is your choice.

Don't like me? No sweat off my back. Hell, some days I don't even like myself.

The human experience is such a wild ride.

It is beautifully both thrilling and exciting as it is dark and depressing.

Ask yourself how much of your experience is wasted because of the justification you feel you have to live by when in certain environments and around certain people?

Life is too fucking short for justification.

Every day someone close to you is losing someone close to them... and maybe it was you who lost someone close to you... and one day that person will be you who is lost. Come to terms with that.

When you do, you will stop justifying.

I know I sure as hell did.

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Cheers to 30, you were great to me.

The next 9 years of this decade of my life is going to challenge me like no other. And I am so fucking ready for all it has to bring. I look forward to having you join me on the ride.

#thriveon

CJ

p.s. today I am grateful for how magical our human body is. I like to push limits, and last week I pushed my limits in the ICE BATH and think I gave myself a small case of pneumonia for a few days. Battled that shit out though and watched my body and mind THRIVE with the resilience I have trained it for.