I'm 31 today!

My first year in my thirties are behind me, and I'm thoroughly convinced this phase of my life is going to be the best yet. I've been reflecting over this past year lately, and while to some age might just be a number, 30 has had so much significance to me. I love being in my thirties; I embraced it wholeheartedly last year with 30 Fresh and since then, have lived every day like I never had before.

First off, some birthday barre at Pure Barre!

Love my girls

Probably my favorite thing about being 30 is my heightened sense of confidence. I don't know why or where it came from, but I feel it for sure.

Confidence sometimes has a negative connotation, but it's an essential trait in self-esteem and going after our dreams. More than ever, I know who/what I am, who I'm not, and what I'm capable of. Even if I'm wrong about something, I'm confident enough to accept that, learn from my experience, and charge forward. I have never cared less about what people think of me. Zero fucks. Most of them don't have an impact on my life as it is; while sometimes I get caught up on someone's actions or feelings, ultimately I work to spend as little time as possible on it and channel compassion to see where they're coming from. Your opinion and judgment of me has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with where you're at.

I think a lot about dedication. It's something I try hard to put into practice everyday. There's a lot of stuff we don't want to do, but have to. I always want to do the best I possibly can, and when it's something I'd rather not be doing, there's a lot more motivation that goes into that effort. I don't like waking up at 5a.m. to make my workout - but I do it because I love everything I get out of being there, including starting my day that much earlier.

Persistence and loyalty are two words related to dedication that also swim in my thoughts often. If I want something to truly change in my life, I have to keep working at it to make it happen. So I stay loyal to positive thoughts and people who are constantly in support of me and my dreams.

Focus is another big theme of life in my thirties. Focus in practice can be so elusive! I get distracted easily in every sense of the word, so focus is another thing I try to practice every day. I think of my goals and what's important to me - and those are the only things I want to fill my day. This year has been a lot about 'trimming the fat', so to speak. I try only to write about things I really care about. Keep only the friends who are genuine and true about themselves, about me and about life around me. Cutting down on the number of blogs and sites I keep up with on Feedly. Cleaning out my closet every month and donating what doesn't appeal to me anymore (my closet is so much more sparse nowadays!)

Energy is yet another thing that's important to me. The energy you put out there is so strong, so work to always keep it positive! Why do so many people use social media to talk about all the bad in their lives - most of the time with little balance of any good that's happening too? I have bad days and struggles just as often as everyone else, but I try always to stick to my rule of just stepping away from the computer/smartphone instead of blasting negativity out there. Just like focus, I want to expend my energy only on the people and goals that are important to me. When it feels like someone's only in the house for what they can get out of me, they gotta see their way immediately out the door.

Finally, taking care of myself has been a huge theme in my thirties, in case you haven't noticed :) I like to think of it as "hustling differently." There's a lot of actions and traits associated with hustle, productivity and working hard that just aren't me - and yet, here I am on my grind every moment of every day.

Hustle different to me means:

• getting enough sleep (Team Naptime, not Team No Sleep)
• working out or getting active every day
• listening to my body (and brain) when it needs rest
• making good choices at the grocery store, making meals or at restaurants as much as possible
• drinking hella water (I'm not a coffee drinker)
• bye alcohol (not all the time, but most of the time)
• making solid time for enjoying life (not working all the damn time)

More than anything, gratitude is the attitude I approach everything with nowadays. I'm so thankful for the amazing souls who are in my life who've made my world so rich with opportunities, exciting challenges and honest friendship. No one ever gets anywhere by themselves, and for each of you, I'm eternally grateful!

Alright, enough waxing poetic about my reflections on 30! I've got giveaways from TCBY Bellevue in celebration of my birthday! Their grand opening is next Tuesday, April 29th, and while they've got A LOT planned for the big day, I've got some treats to whet your sweet palate in the meantime. One winner will receive a TCBY red velvet mousse cake, and five will be treated to a frozen yogurt w/toppings at TCBY.

Seattle/Bellevue and surrounding areas only, please!

Giveaway closes on Monday night, 11:59p.m. Good luck & have a wonderful weekend!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED