Wisdom for Women in their 30s

I researched ‘advice for women in their 30s’ and my search was autocorrected.

What is readily available on the internet is advice for women in their 20s.

The internet tried to convince me that I don’t need advice, I need a husband or a cat. Those are the only two reasonable options for women like me. Those are the only two paths that women who are 29+ need to evaluate.

That’s ridiculous. I don’t like to travel on pre-paved paths and I won’t be limited by stereotypical plots and silly assumptions about how the rest of my life will look. This is my story. I’m the author and the editor.

Why isn’t there more content and guidance available to those who choose to start careers, start dating, opt out of motherhood, or discover new passions in their 30s, 40s, and 50s?

Do women stop learning or craving new information at 30? No.

Do women stop dating or having sex at 30? No.

But the ugly assumption is that all women are grieving their youth, missing their first loves, and wishing they could be in college again. The advice I did find was a little dark and somewhat discouraging.

“Ignore those wrinkles, girl! You’re beautiful.”

That is not a compliment or an affirmation.

We’re not all crying in the shower, watching our beauty drip away and creep toward the drain in the bathtub. It’s dangerous to think that every woman is terrified of growing up. Those myths create a marketplace of products that promote messaging about avoiding aging (which is not possible- btw) and create paranoia where it did not exist.

I’m not afraid of aging! It’s a fantastic evolution, spiritually and physically.

I’m grateful to still be here. Each birthday is a reminder that depression did not win.

I get along with my body now. I hated my body in my 20s.

I enjoy making love now. I was numb and emotionally unavailable in my 20s.

I’m not going to let a few morbid articles make me feel like I need to prepare to die and freeze my face just because I was born in the 1980s.

While most of my search was quite deflating and disappointing, I did find this compilation on YouTube of wonderful wisdom from women who are 40+.

This community is overflowing with kind, insightful contributors who help me navigate life and embrace myself fully. I’d love for the comment section to contain the gems that I didn’t find anywhere else on the internet.

What wisdom can you share with a woman in her 30s?

If you’re in your 30s now, share what brings you joy. What do you love most about this decade?

Everybody is welcome to participate in this conversation.