The one about being 30+7

Every day I write a post around my birthday to share lessons learned from the past year and this year is no different.

This year, I have seven lessons to share. Let’s go.

1. I learned that life happens in cycles. There is the off-season, the regular season and the playoff season. The key is knowing where I am in that cycle. These past few weeks have felt like the playoff season with cylinders pumping in the areas of work, health and personal ventures, but I also know that the off-season is around the corner.
2. I learned to dream even big(ger). The combination of a massive vision combined with disciplined micro-actions is the secret formula to success. One of the images on my vision board is to speak to large audiences on topics that are near and dear to me, whether it is on hate crime reporting, anxiety and mental health or even social skills in the modern world. This vision has led to over 25 speaking engagements this year already (and more on the way). Instead of feeling drained, I feel even more energized and I think this is a sign that I am heading in the right direction.
3. I learned that running is 20% physical, 80% mental. This is a quote that I came across during a recent half marathon, and it has given me the extra fuel to push through. In May, I felt disappointed by my half marathon time (2:01:09). I knew that I could do better. So with the support of coaches and spending time with friends who are runners, I hit successive personal best times in Portland (1:57:11) and UBC (1:53:45) and shaved over 7 minutes from my last time.
4. I learned not to fear death. My dad passed away at the start of the year. I am thankful that I was able to make it to Toronto to be by his side. What I noticed was that even during his final days, he was in absolute peace. Rather than facing fear, he seemed enlightened. He has been recommending several books for me to read since his initial cancer diagnosis but I finally had a chance to start. These books have led to some of the most profound shifts in my thinking as I try to navigate through my own journey. As I heard on a recent podcast, “To go three steps forward, you need to go three steps deep.”
5. I learned that love and kindness is the path forward. As society gets more divisive, small acts of kindness now seem like large acts of kindness. This includes anything from opening doors for people, smiling at strangers and being the first to introduce myself in social situations. It’s a simple lesson but it has given an incredible tool to use when faced with adversity.
6. I learned that the people around you make a significant difference. I’ve been more intentional by surrounding myself with people who I want to emulate. For me, these are people who are kind and compassionate but are also driven in their careers and personal health. We are the people that we surround ourselves with — intentionally or not. They raise our thermostat and influence the way that we act.
7. I learned that success is what you make of it. I learned that there are “markers of success” that our society nudges us towards. But what is more important is my own definition of success and using that as my compass. It is easy to get distracted and fall into the comparison trap of wondering why I don’t have certain things or haven’t reached goals that others have already. But I learned to be kinder to myself, focus on what is controllable and follow my intuition. Surprisingly, this has opened the doors to incredible opportunities. This year, I even received the Medal of Good Citizenship and made it on the list of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers of Canada. What is remarkable is that these were by-products of following my intuition and using my own compass to guide my decisions.

Previous posts: 30+6 | 30+5 | 30+4 |30+3 | 30+2 | 30+1).