Dirty Thirty Wisdom Part 1

​Wow. Thirty years old. When I was growing up 30 sounded so freakin old, and yet here I am. I don’t feel older, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I feel a hell of a lot wiser since my last birthday. If strength is built from resistance then consider me the Emotional Ironman. My twenties went out in a beautiful blaze of glory with a wide variety of heart aches and tough life lessons.


I had a premonition that my last year as a twenty-something would be powerful, but I couldn’t have anticipated the amount of spiritual squats I’d have to do. I’m talking high rep, zero rest time haha. Bang, bang, bang. And while I was definitely left a little worse for wear at times, I’ve definitely found the value in each and every situation I found myself in.


Watch the video blog below to hear my Dirty Thirty Wisdom (Part 1)

​To further explain my life lessons from the video blog, losing my father-in-law was incredibly difficult. Seeing someone there one day and gone the next was almost impossible to wrap my head around. It scared me to be honest. It showed me the true fragility of life, and really emphasized how incredibly important it is to live each day like it is our last. No more holding back, no more wasted time, no more fear of failure. We don’t have time for these things. They rob us of our beautiful present moment, of the endless opportunities life presents us with. That wisdom will stay with me for a lifetime. I will live a richer life because of it. I like to think it’s my father-in-law’s final gift to me, and I shall use it well.


Those pesky little parasites that robbed me of my comfort for a week delivered a beautiful gift to me as well. The shock of having lice jolted my mental patterns and somehow I had stumbled upon old feelings of guilt for how I used to behave. Being a selfish, entitled brat in my “hot mess days” was something I had never really forgiven myself for. And it was never something I really went and apologized to others for either. This lack of action created shame within, and it was so incredibly liberating to reach out to those I felt I had taken advantage of. Some replied back to my messages, and some didn’t. The response wasn’t important. The apology was. As was the forgiveness I gave myself for who I once was. There was a sincere moment of release where I allowed the guilt to fade, and appreciation for who I’ve become flooded my heart. I am now committed to always give more than I get.


The final lesson for this blog came as a shock and left me feeling completely lost. My best friend, my husband, my soul mate was diagnosed with cancer back in March. Two weeks before his birthday, no less. When you’re faced with news like that there’s no “right” way to react. But it was the longest two weeks of my life between getting that news and then being informed it was a misdiagnosis. The damage had already been done emotionally, and the life lesson that I will always keep close to my heart is this: Love like there is no tomorrow. Forgive people quickly, tell them you love them, let the people in your life know how much they matter to you. Because tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. I would hate to lose someone and not have had the opportunity to tell them how I feel. If you have a chance to make a memory, make it today. Ask for forgiveness, give forgiveness to others, and never leave a loving feeling left unspoken. Life is short. Love with all you’ve got. Challenge: Text someone now, out of the blue, and tell them how loved they are.


Life can be tough, but it is also magical. Through every hardship, comes a loving memory, a new connection, a good story. I truly believe everything happens for a reason, although we may not always understand why. Next week I will share my Dirty Thirty Wisdom Part 2, where I share what I learned from surviving Canada’s worst natural disaster in history. 


I hope this wisdom has served you in some way. And if you’re having a hellish year too, don’t sweat it. I bet you’ve learned a lot from it as well. Everything serves us, if we allow it to. If you’re going through hell right now, don’t sweat that either. You will survive this, just as you have survived every obstacle you’ve faced thus far in your life. 


Sending love, light and good vibes,
-L.K.