I’m Courtenay, but I go by Xave. Yesterday I turned 36, and it’s made me stop and think a bit. When I was younger, I thought by this age I’d have everything completely together - married, kids, a house with a picket fence and a dog. The reality looks a bit different. I have a house (no fence), stepkids, I’m engaged to be married in November, and I somehow have 50+ little fish. It’s not what I imagined, but I really love it. I saw something recently about “reverse bucket lists

It’s time to stop chasing dreams that were never truly yours. Time to pause. To breathe. To realise what you already have. You don’t need more things.Things don’t create memories. They don’t create happiness. Experiences do. Don’t fall for the fast life — the noise, the rush, the endless wanting. Slow down instead. Notice the small things. The quiet mornings. The laughter that lingers. The moments that don’t cost a thing. This is your reminder: Build a life you actually feel.