“Hello Thirty Five!”

What piece of advice can you share with me on my 35th birthday? 🙂

It’s crazy how our minds work sometimes. Why we think of certain memories at certain times. Why our thoughts travel down random rabbit holes, sometimes with no ending. Have you ever had those moments?

That’s what happened to me the other day. As I was just a few days away from my 35th birthday (May 22nd), I thought about just how much I’m at peace in my life! It made me think back to my 31st birthday and how my thoughts were just racing and bringing me so much anxiety. I felt like because I was turning a year older, I needed to be doing something new or more. I kept asking myself “what’s next?” I was feeling so overwhelmed in that season, and I blogged about it.

But what’s so crazy yall, I haven’t had an overwhelming thought about “what’s next” in my life in a LONG time! Granted, I don’t think much has changed in my life over the past 4 years, but I’m so happy I reached this realization. I shared these current thoughts with my best friend and, once again, she gave me some very sound advice.

I told her I wanted to write another birthday blog post but I was having a hard time putting into words what I wanted to say. She advised I write something about how much gratitude I have for the current space I am in life right now. Life has brought me a lot of ups and downs and I’m so grateful for each of those lessons and they have brought me so much peace.

She reminded me that who I was in 2021 is drastically different than who I am in 2025, and I couldn’t agree more! I’m in a space where I am more open to accepting and allowing what is to come to just come. I’m not hung up and worrying about the minor things in life. And even though I put my best foot forward at all times, I still fall short, and that’s okay!

I am very proud of who I am today and who I am becoming as I prepare to take another trip around the sun. I am not going to focus on the daunting question “what’s next,” because that takes away from the present. This doesn’t mean I still don’t set goals for myself or I stop wanting to grow or challenge myself. It just means I’m not being so hard on myself. And I want you all to do the same! Let’s celebrate who we are today and everyday!

*HELLO THIRTY FIVE!*

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Moni Jay, Off the Record