Thirty 5 + Thriving
I have heard women say that when they turn 40, something shifts. They become more confident, more settled, less moved by what anyone thinks of them. I understand that. I just arrived there at 35.
That is not a brag. It is a data point.
And it matters because it tells you something about what is possible when you build your life with intention instead of waiting for time to do it for you.
This year, I spent my birthday weekend in Denver, Colorado, my hometown, for the first time in seven years. The week leading up to it was Holy Week. My grandmother’s 90th birthday fell on Resurrection Sunday. I was with the people who pour into me without condition — home-cooked, home-baked, surrounded by everyone who knew me before I became Alex Ayodele. It was simple. It was full circle. And it was exactly what I needed.
My 33rd birthday stands out for a reason. A dear friend planned a girls’ trip to St. Martin, at another friend’s vacation home, and it was extraordinary by any measure. I came home knowing my life was about to change.
Not because of the trip itself, but because I could finally see clearly: I had been living in a way that required that kind of escape. And there are only so many times you can return from a vacation needing another vacation before you have to ask yourself, “Why?”
That is what 34 and 35 have been. Maturation. Owning my role as a health coach not just professionally, but personally. Living in alignment with what God has called me to do. I understand now the toll that moving between that kind of release and a structured, disciplined life takes on your nervous system, your cells, your brain.
The contrast costs something. I am no longer willing to pay it — not because I have stopped living, but because I am living so well that I do not need to escape from it.
Romans 12:9–13 outlines the marks of a true Christian: sincere love, devotion to one another, persistence in prayer, hospitality, and endurance in hardship. I have a deeper understanding of what that actually means now than I ever have. And I take pride in living it — not perfectly, but without pretense.
35 is the introduction to longevity. It is the pathway to sustained health. It is non-negotiable. And it has told me, clearly:
You know what you do, Alex.
You know God’s will.
You know what to eat.
You know your blood type.
You know what exercise serves you.
You know how to build muscle and how to sustain it.
You know what people deplete you and what people fulfill you.
You know what your husband needs.
You know what your children need.
You know what choices lead to impact beyond yourself.
Now get up, go out, and make those choices.
The question is — do you?
Much Joy,
Alex Ayodele
A Balcony Person Building a Health Legacy
P.S. If this resonated and you are ready to do the actual work on your health, I have limited availability for 1:1 clients this quarter. This is not a program. It is a concierge experience built entirely around you — your blood type, your body, your life. If you are ready, reach out at balconypeople.com and let’s talk.
