It’s the 17th of September, and I turned 30! I’ve officially entered into the next decade and big chapter of my life, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come. My 20s were fun and filled with a lot of surprises and I definitely learned many great life lessons. I was super active in my 20s and tried to absorb eveeerything life offered to me – to learn, to grow, to glow. I had many ups and downs, met amazing (and less amazing😄) people, explored the world, set up my business, tried out so many new things, and got to know myself, understand myself, discover my strengths and superpowers, set my priorities and dive into my creative ideas… it was a journey of self-discovery and self-love. And now I feel like my 30s will be the decade I’ll start to experience the fruit of all the great experiences and investments in myself.
To celebrate my 30th birthday, I thought it would be fun to sit down and recap my 20s and share 30 things I’ve learned at 30, lessons, experiences and things I feel to be true for my life. Hope you enjoy!♥
the decade of risking it all or nothing
In my early 20s, I was a diligent law student. My education was important to me and I put great effort to make the best of it. But I was also a very creative soul. I always felt the urge to create and explore, to be in touch with art and literature and widen my horizons. Drawing portraits and painting canvas were the escape from the hard studying hours at the university. I also loved writing (for myself) and one day, I thought about creating a blog… why not? I got my laptop and published my first post. And that was the shift. That evening in front of my laptop in Germany, was the first step into a new era.
In my mid 20s, my blog and my Instagram became popular. I created content like self-care and fashion and shared my lifestyle and visions. My posts were liked by thousands of people and more and more people started following me. I travelled a lot, moved to a new country, rented my first apartment and started living in a metropolis. Now I was all alone in the middle of millions of people and had to build up my life, new friendships, new businesses etc. Plus, I had no safe job, only my social media. Of course I felt extremely insecure and had mixed feelings. It was a huge risk. But taking it or not, that was the question of my life. The start all over was not easy, but it was my life and I was responsible for taking the risk. I wanted it, and I would get it (and yes I did!!!). With all the ups and downs living in a big city alone as a young woman, I met amazing people and set up my business. My social media was booming, my circle got bigger and I became a known personality in my country.
My late 20s felt more grounded. During the pandemic, I reflected a lot and worked on myself. Over the years I discovered what worked best for me and set up my routines. I shared my productive lifestyle at home, how I stayed active, my workouts, my healthy diet etc. on my social media. It got much attention and I created my YouTube fitness channel which was another big success.
I felt much more secure and confident in my late 20s, became financially stable, realized many of my dreams, tried out new activities and discovered new hobbies like horseback riding (I am a licensed equestrian since) and tennis. My passion for my social media got bigger and bigger and I just LOVE my job and how I inspire people by just being myself, sharing my healthy mindset and lifestyle. I became my own muse and am ready for my 30s. Still got ideas to realize, plans to do, dreams and goals to achieve.♥
my top 30 truths that act as my north stars
#1 The true key to a fit and toned body is a healthy diet, regular exercise (both cardio and strength training) and an overall healthy lifestyle. People might want to sell you supplements, detoxes, strange diets, and yes sometimes they will make you lose weight, but you pay with your health. Think of your diet and fitness routines as a healthy lifestyle that you can sustain long term.
#2 Life is short, but life is also long, so never ever settle for anything – a job, a relationship, a living situation, even a state of mind… you deserve the best and YOU can decide what and when to change.
#3 If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s. Be bold and dare to be curious. The path will constantly unfold in front of you in the most surprising ways if you follow your individual one.
#4 Be careful with how much you tolerate. You are teaching people how to treat you.
#5 Do that one thing you can do best by your own without any help from others. That’s your superpower – nurture and improve it.
#6 Never hit the snooze button, it’s pure poison.😄 The 5 more minutes of sleep you’re granting yourself over and over and over isn’t productive sleep. If anything, all of that interrupted sleep will make you feel more groggy and impact your entire day.
#7 If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down – which is not always as obvious and easy as it sounds.
#8 Making a thousand friends is not a miracle. A miracle is making one friend who will stand by your side when thousands are against you. Quality counts, not quantity!
#9 All of your consumptions matter – how you spend your time, what you listen to, what you read, what you watch, who you spend your time with… If you want a healthy, productive mind and future, you have to surround yourself with positivity, love and greatness.
#10 Be financially independent, that’s the most important rule. Earn your own money, have savings, and do not rely on anyone else for your own needs. This way you can enjoy your freedom.
#11 Repetition is so powerful. If you ever want to learn something new, develop a new habit, succeed at anything in life, just keep repeating it over and over. Through repetition, your brain forms neural pathways that strengthen each time – when you repeat an experience over and over, the brain learns to trigger the same neurons each time and neurons that fire together, wire together.🙌🏽✨
#12 If a person wants to be a part of your life they will make an obvious effort to do so. Don’t bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
#13 ACTION! While you wait for the circumstances being perfect, everyone else moves already. So don’t worry about perfectionism – adjust, be flexible, and take action. The world will respond to you, start to move and cooperate with you, promise.
#14 The key to glowing skin is a good diet and an effective skincare routine. Invest in skincare (not makeup), remove your makeup properly before going to bed and moisturize your skin. When it comes to nourishing my skin, my favorites are glycolic acid toners and marula oil.♥
#15 Anything you can imagine in your mind, you can turn into reality. A vacation, a job, a relationship, an experience, a person – use your imagination, it’s one of the most powerful tools you’ve got.
#16 In moments of stress or anxiety, find your breath. Let it anchor you, follow it as you feel yourself returning to a more balanced state. I find the 4-7-8 breathing technique the most helpful.
#17 Travel a LOT and be open minded. Explore different countries, learn from different cultures, and meet different people. It will deepen your soul, enrich your life and widen your horizons.
#18 Everyone you meet is in another battle and trying to solve problems life comes up with. So don’t take everything too personal, most of the time it is not about your person – it’s about them.
#19 It’s okay that things don’t always work out like you planned or hoped for. Trust there’s something even better waiting for you.
#20 Have a plan! Writing down my goals, dreams and plans always has helped me visualizing them and turning them into concrete plans. A roadmap of what you want your life to be will make it a lot easier to get there.
#21 DISCIPLINE over everything! Talent, intelligence or a good luck isn’t the main reason for success. Discipline can beat them all.
#22 You can never please everyone. So don’t compromise your dreams for others. I know you worry a lot about what others think, but the truth is they all just think about themselves. Do your thing because no one’s looking – they’re all looking at their phones.😉
#23 You should have at least one bra you love by your 30s.🤣 You can’t imagine how difficult it is, but I found mine years ago haha.
#24 Having a passion project brings motivation and joy to your daily life.
#25 Romanticize life and have fancy rituals and routines. Truly embrace the small things in life and make even the most mundane and seemingly insignificant moments fun and exciting.
#26 You can’t change the whole world. But you can make a difference around you, by doing something for your community, helping a neighbor, and being kind to a random stranger. And if we all do the same… imagine the possibilities.
#27 By the age of 30, learn how to separate waste and support recycling. It’s so important for our earth.
#28 The world’s best antidepressant has four legs, a wagging tail and comes with unconditional love! I could never ever imagine a life without my golden dog Mars and my cats Maya and Zen.
#29 Falling down is flying up in the opposite direction. Don’t be afraid of hitting the floor, experiences are essential to learn flying up high!
#30 Always strive to be the BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF. Discover your talents, work on yourself, improve your skills, try out new things, exercise, eat healthy, travel and explore.
Which of these truths resonate most with you? I’d love to know in the comments! I also wanted to say a huge thank you for all the kind birthday wishes on my Instagram. You guys are amazing and I am so so grateful to have you all in my life. THANK YOU.♥
xx Eylem
Ya hayatı ne güzel anlatmışsın hersey kendine inanmak ve güvenmekle başlıyor 💪🏻bende bu hayatta hep ben yaparım dedim ve yaptım iyki doğmuşsun güzelim iyki varsın 🤍🥂
Happy birthday!! I hadn’t realised how much i needed this article, it was like a reminder to me to continue working towards my goals and never give up! Thank you so much!!!
Eylem merhaba öncelikle. Yazmayı, okumayı, üretmeyi, keşfetmeyi seven bir edebiyat öğretmeni olarak -her paylaşımında olduğu gibi- inci gibi dizdiğin satırları sindirerek okudum. 25. yaşıma birden çok not olarak ekledim hem zihnime hem başucu defterime. İlhamın bol olsun bebek kadın! “Üretebildiğin kadar özgürsün Esra” derim hep, budur hayat mottom, Yıllardır kullandığım sosyal medyada kendimle eşleştirdiğim ve hep bir şeyler kaptığım teksin yıllardır takip ettiğim. İYİ Kİ DOĞDUN.30. yaşında kendine ve bize katacakların için heyecan doluyum! Kucak dolusu sevgiler benden sana <3