The Big 3-0

 Well, I did it.  I lived to be 30 years old.  I made it to this amazing milestone.  I can say that I’ve done a lot in my life, too.  Before the age of 30, I landed a steady job.  I also learned how to drive, even though I don’t own a car.  I also received my bachelor’s degree from college, which is a feat not many can say they have done, let alone get their high school diploma or G.E.D.  To top it off, I even maintained a strong and steady relationship with my girlfriend for 2.5 years.  Oh and how about the fact that I moved out of my parents’ house before 30, like I had dreamed and planned? All this was done while watching some of the funniest stuff on the internet, playing some of the coolest video games, and generally being myself.  Now, I’m here at the 30^th year of my life, and I can honestly say, that I’ve never felt so alive, or more focused.  Yet, I can’t help but feel the big “R” on my shoulders, or looming overhead.  “R”, in this case, stands for responsibility.  Something keeps gnawing at me, saying that I haven’t been responsible enough for my actions or my life.  And yet, here I sit, writing about this, with all this on my shoulders, all done before my 30^th birthday with no major meltdowns or whatever.  Perhaps, it’s time for me to start looking in the mirror and finally telling myself that the things that used to define me as bad habits are or should be removed.  Yea, I can live with that.

For starters, I can’t keep making excuses anymore as to why I’m not doing what I am doing.  I have a plan in mind, and after seeing some regular people, like me, who may or may not have more than a master’s degree in college for one reason or another doing something with a passion of theirs, I think it’s time I do the same.  I’m going to go for it. I’m going to go for video game development.  I’m going to be the next Shigeru Miyamoto, Dave Perry, Goichi Suda, Keiji Inafune, Shinji Mikami, Hideo Kojima and the like.  If not, I want to at least rub elbows with these guys.  In today’s world, video gaming is being driven by two new waves:  American developers finally matching their Japanese counterparts and independent game development beginning to be the foremost means to make money in the world.  The market is starving for people who can either come up with a good idea, or something of that sort.  It’s time I cut into it.  If I can make money dealing with stuff I love, I can’t miss.  And even if I don’t, I’d at least like to be a video game journalist.  Regardless, I’m going for it.  But, that’s not to say I want to leave my steady job.  Oh no.  People need to realize that in order to fulfill your destiny in your career that you have to make capital to start.  Hence, this is why I don’t advise quitting one’s job.  If anything, try to use it to your strengths for your future career.  I have the tools, and I have the drive.  It’s time to make it happen.

Speaking of making things happen, I have been mandated by my doctor to lose 30 pounds.  I’ve been dodging and dogging the gym for months now.  That’s either due to my laziness, or my busy life with my girlfriend.  Well, I have a means to exercise at home and the gym is no more than 5 minutes from my house.  No big travel needed.  All I need is a small bag, a towel, my gear, and some water, and I will be well set.  Otherwise, I’ll let the practices of Bruce Lee tell me how to lose that weight and feel great.  People say I’ve lost weight.  Others say I look slimmer.  The key reason is because I eat to eat, not because I’m stressed.  Thanks to moving out, I haven’t felt so much better than I have.  I live by my own rules and my own mindset.  I couldn’t be happier.  But this is about getting healthy.  It’s up to me to eat right, exercise, and stay regular.  Time to get it done!

Then, there are my other bad habits.  One such is my indecision.  It’s so easy for me to not think about something important or not and go about in my routine.  I don’t want to have to deal with the stress.  However, life is all about making decisions.  I’ve been wishy-washy all my life, not sure when to move and how to move.  From now on, I make a decision and I stick with it.  If it doesn’t work out, I improvise.  If it does, that’s all the better for me.  Indecision and hesitation can and will be my undoing unless I man up and get my head on straight.  At the age of 30, I can’t be indecisive.  I have to do what I must to get where I need to be.  If I’m not sure about what to buy or when to buy it, I don’t buy it and set a date to do so.  I put some money aside and make that move to do so.  No more indecision.

I feel this is very important for me, because it is very easy to be this age, and still never mature enough to make something of their life.  I’ve seen what it looks like living dependently without really trying to make something of myself.  I guess I was too scared to make the move to get out and try, even when I ran out of space and time to do the work I needed to do.  Now, I’m on my own.  There is no excuse any longer.  I also know what it feels like to live with people who don’t want to amount to much or live with resentment and pride, not trying to get their lives together.  It can be very frustrating for them and for me as their problems affect your mindset, and then, you snap at the wrong person.  I knew in the back of my mind that it was not something I wanted to do anymore.  So, I started to make the overtures to move out, and as luck would have it, I got a place before the year was out.  I was scared.  I cried a bit.  But, in the end, it’s been 6 to 7 months, and it’s been running like a well-oiled machine.  Garbage is taken out, I don’t have pests, and I’m regimented in my behavior, as I take care of myself and myself only.  I wasn’t going to bite off more than I could chew.  I made the move to get something affordable, and I did.  For now, it’s not too far from my parents as they worry.  But, it’s a start. 

I don’t know what the future holds for me.  There are so many things to consider and see.  But, if there’s something I do know, it’s that I’m not getting any younger and I have to start considering the future.  One thing is for sure:  I’m going to do this my way and whatever happens will be.  Thankfully enough, I’m responsible enough to know what I should and shouldn’t do.  Wish me luck everyone.  I’ll need it.