30 Things Before 30
Matt Thorpe | 2019 | Clemson, SC
Later this year, I will turn 30 years old.
3 decades.
360 months.
Over 1500 weeks.
Almost 11,000 days.
About 263,000 hours of life.
For what?
In that time, I have spent probably around 90,000 hours asleep, give or take a few hours. I have earned a high school, a bachelors, and a masters degree.
I have built relationships and friendships. I have broken relationships and friendships. I have hurt and been hurt. I have forgiven and been forgiven.
I have been to 28 different states and 5 different countries outside of the US. In the past 7 years alone, I married my best friend, made 2 beautiful kids with a 3rd baking, lived in 4 different homes, and am moving to a new one in July.
For what?
If I am just existing for the sake of existing, if there is not purpose woven into everything I am doing, then there is no good answer to that question. I am just going on, day by day, living a life in pursuit of what? What feels good? What makes me happy? That cannot be enough.. BUT. If I can weave purpose into all that I do, then I can live on purpose with purpose.
My life reflects my purpose, and my purpose informs my daily decisions.
To be honest, I wrestled with the question of purpose long before writing this. Unbeknownst to some, it was in 2018 & 2019 when I battled through a deep darkness and questioned existence and purpose. My faith was tested on a level unlike before in my life. The Lord proved faithful: He reminded me of why I was created, the purpose for which I exist. Out of that dark place grew a desire for a life of intentionality.
Purpose goes hand in hand with intentionality.
A life of purpose inevitably leads to intentionality. If you know your purpose, yet live without intentionally walking in and towards that purpose, then do you really know your purpose? For anyone to live a life of purpose, he needs to live with a degree of intentionality. To get there requires intentional contemplation and reflection and evaluation.
Intentional reflection
One thing I have realized in life is that, in every season, it is important to look back and evaluate, to reflect. We spend so much time looking through the camera that we never step back to look around.
The one who evaluates gains experience and perspective unavailable to the one who continues on without doing so.
Reflection helps inform purpose.
In August 2012, I moved to Georgia to attend school. I was there for 4 years before moving to South Carolina. Recently, we decided to move back to my roots in Maryland this summer and, as I have been preparing to make this move, I have been looking back and reflecting intentionally.
As I approach 30, I am looking back and asking myself, "what have you learned?". While I understand my purpose, I still need to walk in and towards that purpose intentionally. Asking myself what I have learned in a recent season is a powerful place to start.
To be fair, the first 16-20 years of someone's life is pretty much just training for the rest of life. I have met a few 17 or 18 year olds who have things together, but there is still maturing that needs to happen. I have also met 25 year olds that still need that same maturity. The essential goal of pre-adulthood is to not catastrophically ruin your own life or anyone else's, to survive bad decisions and trauma, and to build a foundation for a life ahead of you. We can show a lot of grace to that season of life, I hope.
At the least, I know need a lot of grace to be shown to that version of me.
However, after that 18-20 year old window, there should be a shift. You don't have to have life figured out, but there should be a shift towards maturity. It pains me to see 30 and 40 and 50 year old people still acting like they are 20. Something should shift towards maturity.
I think one of the things that helps this shift is intentional reflection.
You see, immaturity does not allow genuine intentional reflection. It just continues moving. Maturity introduces reflection, ponderance, consideration, contemplation.
Intentional reflection promotes growth and produces further maturity.
What are you trying to say, Matt?
As I walk through my own personal reflection and desire to grow, I want to invite others into that process.
If you want to live a life on purpose with purpose, then it takes a degree of intentionality. In this next season specifically, I am going to share 30 things that I have learned before the age of 30. How did I get to a place of intentional living? Where am I still growing? What does any of this even mean?
As I endure my own personal reflection, I hope to help the young 20 year olds who are trying to step towards maturity. I want to inspire other 30 and 40 year olds who are trying to figure life out. I desire to challenge and encourage the silver haired wisdom of the 50 and 60 and 70 year olds so that they can share with others.
Follow along as I pursue a life on purpose, as I live with intentionality.
I will share some resources, practical lessons, and powerful wisdom. Learn from my mistakes, the lessons I paid for with my blood, sweat, tears, time, and money, and the wisdom I have gleaned from those around me. In this process, engage with me and offer me some new wisdom. I am a work in progress, working on the process. I do not have it all figured out; I am just figuring things out.
A Life Worth Remark is an opportunity for me to offer commentary on faith, family, finance, and whatever else life brings me. It is a chance to offer coaching in areas of life I am uniquely equipped and passionate about. It is an avenue to share wisdom and resources that I have held onto in life.
Follow along and start to move towards a life of intentionality on your own. Subscribe below, and follow my new page on Instagram as I intentionally document A Life Worth Remark.