The Defining Decade

make yourself

By Christina Nguyen

March 12^th, 2018

A few days ago I turned 30! This is a funny milestone age where half of the people asked me if I was excited, and the other half asked me if I was worried, or scared. The truth is I could not be more excited...not just because I turned the big 3.0, but because I see it as a celebration of what I call MY defining decade...

When I graduated from university I made a huge move across the country to start my career. I left everything that was familiar, and took a risk into the unknown. It challenged me, tested my limits, and helped me grow. A few years later, the feelings of quarter-life crisis started to creep in as it does for most young adults. During this period of constantly feeling trivialized I came across a Ted Talk called, Why 30 is Not the New 20 by psychologist, Meg Jay. The talk inspired me to pick up her book, "The Defining Decade," which I read with a few other gal pals who were feeling the same. Jay's message empowered me to re-frame my perspective on what was left of my twenties. It gave me the tools necessary to navigate the coming years. It taught me how work, relationships, personality, social networks, identity, and even the brain can change more during this decade than any other time in adulthood– BUT only if we used this time wisely. And from that day forward I began to live with much more intent.

I'm pretty damn proud of what I accomplished, the identity capital that I gained, and the relationships I built throughout my twenties. Some of my favorite key learnings include:

Always believe in yourself.
Be open to the art of possibility.
Make choices, not excuses.
Grow through what you go through.
Practice an attitude of gratitude.
Love is a verb.
Giving is living.
Your vibe attracts your tribe.
Oh well...don't dwell (don't worry if you don't have it all figured out).

I would have never imagined I'd be turning thirty, writing this story from my high rise apartment in Kuala Lumpur, and publicly sharing it with my supporters from all over the world. Ultimately, no matter what age you are at don't be defined by what you didn't know, or by what you didn't do. You have the power every single day to take action on the things that add value to who you are, and to who you are becoming.