I’m not sure what it is about walking that sparks inspiration, but lately, my morning walks have been filling my head with ideas so big, I’m starting to think I could be Elon Musk’s biggest competitor.
But that aside,
Have you ever wondered why wine can become more valuable with age?
Or why some cheeses are deliberately left to age for months or even years before they’re considered ready?
Apparently, time does something interesting to certain things. It changes their character, deepens their flavour, and sometimes increases their value.
And lately, I’ve been wondering if humans are a little like that, too.
I’m turning 30 soon, and something happened at work recently that got me thinking.
I received a salary review that was honestly mind-blowing. It was almost twice what I expected.
And as exciting as the news was, my mind went somewhere else.
I started thinking about the version of me from five years ago.
If you had told that girl what she’d be earning today, I’m not sure she would have believed you. She probably would have laughed, asked if you were serious, and then gone back to worrying about something else.
Five years ago, I didn’t have everything I know today. I hadn’t experienced all the challenges, learned all the lessons, or developed the skills that have shaped the person I am now.
But somewhere between then and now, things changed.
I grew. I learned. I made mistakes. I gained experience. I became better at what I do.
And eventually, my value began to look different.
The money was exciting, but the realisation was even more beautiful: I had become someone I couldn’t have imagined five years ago.
And I wonder how many of us have moments like this without stopping to appreciate them.
Think about your twenties.
At 20, you might have been desperately trying to figure out what you wanted to do with your life. You were learning how to make money, navigate relationships, handle responsibilities, and pretend you had everything under control.
Then you turned 25, and suddenly, people started asking questions.
What’s your plan? When are you getting married? When will you buy a house? How far have you gone in your career?
Before you know it, you’re approaching 30, measuring your life against everyone else’s achievements.
Your friend has a house. Someone else has two children. Another person is travelling around the world.
And you’re wondering whether you’ve done enough.
But here’s something I’ve been learning: sometimes, we’re so busy measuring how far we’ve gone that we forget to measure how much we’ve grown.
Think about wine. Age alone doesn’t guarantee quality, and not every bottle improves with time. The conditions matter, too.
The same is true for us.
Time gives us opportunities to learn, but we must be willing to learn. Experience gives us lessons, but we must be willing to grow. Opportunities come, but we must be willing to show up and do the work.
And when those things come together, something changes.
You begin to recognise opportunities you once would have missed. You handle situations that once overwhelmed you. You bring experience to the table that you simply didn’t have years ago.
Sometimes, other people begin to see that value before you fully recognise it yourself.
That’s what my salary review reminded me of.
The person I was five years ago wasn’t worthless. She was simply at a different stage of her journey.
And the person I am today didn’t become valuable overnight.
There were years of learning, showing up, making mistakes, and trying again in between.
So, if you’re approaching 30, or you’re already there and wondering whether you’re where you should be, I hope you give yourself a little grace.
You may not have the salary you want yet. You may not have the business you’ve dreamed of building. You may still be figuring out relationships, finances, or what you want your life to look like.
That’s okay.
Your life isn’t a bottle of wine that must be ready for the market by a particular birthday.
You don’t have to achieve everything by 25, become successful by 30, or have your entire future figured out by 35.
Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep putting yourself in positions where your skills, character, and experience can develop.
And every now and then, look back.
You might discover that the person you prayed to become is already taking shape in ways you haven’t noticed.
Because time doesn’t automatically make us more valuable. But what we learn, build, and become over time can change the value we bring to the world.
I’m turning 30, and I’m learning that getting older isn’t just about the years I’ve lived.
Sometimes, it’s about finally seeing what those years have made possible.
And honestly?
That’s something worth celebrating over a glass of wine. 🍷
You see what I did there? 😊see, you need to take a morning walk because what is all this inspiration? 😁
