I recently read 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know By the Time She’s 30, written by the editors of Glamour magazine.  As someone who’s turning 30 next March (eek!), I was excited to hear what the Glamour editors and several celebs had to say about turning the big 3-0, a birthday that hits so many people SO hard.  Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

You Should Have:

– A youth you’re content to move beyond: “I haven’t found the secret to life, or love, or eternal youth.  But I do know now that youth is not the blossom but the bud, and that though one cannot always be young and wild, if you are willing to learn, to grow, to outrun the mileposts of your own wildest dreams, you can always be winsome and lucky, lovely and free.” – ZZ Packer

You Should Know:

– When to try harder and when to walk away: “You should walk away from a relationship when it’s not good for you anymore.  I didn’t always know this.  I used to believe it was justifiable to do anything to find and keep a guy – throw yourself at him, try to convince him to like you.” – Kathy Griffin

– That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents: “You know when you’re in yoga and you’re looking around, thinking, ‘wow, I wish I was that flexible,’ or ‘how come she can hold that pose’?  Well, my friend has a saying: ‘stay on your own mat.’  Not physically, but mentally.  In life, we’re all made differently: our families, our frames, our personalities and talents.  Appreciate how you were made, and stay on your mat.  That’s where happiness lies.” – Portia De Rossi

– What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love: (Wouldn’t do: Sacrifice my own happiness) “Love isn’t always enough.  It’s a hard leson because we’re raised to believe that it is – it’s in every story we hear.  But just because you love somebody and they love you back doesn’t mean you’re relationship makes sense or that it’s a good one for you both to be in.” – Lauren Conrad

– “How to treat yourself so that your employers and romantic partners and friends and even your children know how you want to be treated.” – Kimora Lee Simmons

– “…that revenge is sweet, but sometimes simply moving on with your fabulous life and forgetting all about what’s-his-name is even sweeter.” – Meg Cabot

And finally…

“By thirty you should be moving at your own speed. So what if someone else gets promoted first?  Or has flatter abs, or more mysteriously perfect hair?  Gets pregnant first – or stays gloriously single longer?  High-five her.  That’s her race.”