A Year Older, a Year Wiser

by Roxanne C.

 

Jiyugaoka Matcha Cake

If only all matcha cakes were made this good.

 

I don’t know the best way to put this but I’m officially 30! What started as something that had never crossed my mind – a future so distant I could only dream it – became a reality that hit me quite hard. To put it simply, I didn’t take it very well the night before the sun was set to rise again. As I lay in bed, tears welled up in my eyes while I pondered upon what this new decade would mean to me, horrified at the prospect of possibly turning into a soccer mum.

 

OK, I might be exaggerating a little. But turning the big three-o did make me reflect upon my life and where it seemed to be headed. I mean, I’ve now ventured irreversibly into the big unknown and that is pretty scary. If I could relive my last 30 years, I’m not sure what I would do differently, or if I would even have the chance to.

 

As the night wore on, a story I once read came to my mind, one about the biggest regrets of the dying elderly. I didn’t know what my biggest regret was that night, because all of those seniors did teach me after all to live my life to the fullest and spend time with loved ones. But it struck me one day later that if I were to have any regrets at this point in my life, it would be that there are only 24 hours in a day and that I can only do so much.

 

30 is still a young age, and the next 10 years are going to be the prime of my life. And a part of me looks forward to finding out how my life is going to change (and be more awesome, obviously). But a part of me knows that having my cake and eating it is going to be a struggle.

 

There are people who don’t believe that you can have it all in your life. But I honestly beg to differ. Life is what you make it out to be but you need to let that sink in and digest it before you can truly understand what that means. There are tons of things I want to do and achieve, and many people I want to hold on to as a facet of my however transient life. But that’s the thing, the crux of it all – that I only have one life. And so, I need to be selective.

 

There are only 24 hours in a day. Make full use of it. Spread out the time you spend on the various things that are important to you. For me, I’ve come to realise that these are the things that mean the most to me, though their order changes when the situations see fit:

  1. Sleep
  2. Career
  3. Being financially independent
  4. Family
  5. Friends
  6. Health

 

So yes. You can have it all if you really want it and are willing to work for it. Work smart, kill many birds with one stone when possible. Always stick to your guts and remember lessons learnt from past experiences. Have faith in yourself and surround yourself with people who do the same and support you.

 

Be thankful for each day that you get to live again, for each new day is a new opportunity for you to grow closer to your dreams and ambitions and spend more time with the people you love. Treasure the ones who care for you; don’t take them for granted. If you did something wrong, apologise and accept the fact that you made a mistake – then move on. To maintain your relationships with others, throw your ego out the window. It serves no purpose other than to separate you.

 

There are many more I can say but I suppose this will do for now if you were looking for some advice. 24 hours aren’t much and if I take away 8 for a good night’s rest, and 10 for a day at work, that leaves me with only 6. Those 6 are crucial in giving me my cake.

 

And yes, I’m quite sure I’m going to eat it.

 

Eat that cake,

Roxanne