What am I …. what are you … waiting for? We can often be the ones to talk ourselves out of living a passion or changing our path. It’s sad and self-defeating when someone says “ But I can’t I’m __ (You fill in the blank with an age) .”
I think, actually I know because there is a ton of data to prove it, during the pandemic a lot of folks did a lot of reassessing, reevaluating and reprioritizing … and made a lot of life changes they previously could have readily been talked out of by co-workers, friends, family or even themselves.
I am not saying it will be smooth sailing. I am not saying such transitions come without hurdles , setbacks, difficult decisions or challenges. There can be financial difficulties, frictions with loved ones and lots of uncertainty. According to Vijaya Srivastava, who learned to swim at 68, “Don’t give yourself the option of quitting.” What would you say to a friend walking away from a 19-year lucrative career on Wall Street to become a standup comic? Shaun Eli Breidhart did just that. Or your mom telling you she plans to celebrate her 70th birthday by climbing El Capitan? “Look, there’s somebody every step of your life telling you what to eat, what you can’t wear, that you can’t sleep without that drug and it’s all nonsense. You can decide for yourself what you are capable of,’ says Dierdre Wolownick. She first climbed El Capitan when she was 66.
Can you imagine , in your 40’s, turning you back on years as a Hebrew day school teacher to move from the Oakland, California to Mumbai to become a Bollywood actor? Richard Klein is successfully living that dream. Or, at the age of 40 and after 15 years in prison being named a named a David Rockefeller Fund Fellow, a Soros Justice Fellow, a Senior Atlantic Fellow and vice-chair of the Canary Impact Fund (dedicated to meaningful social justice reform and making life differences for those impacted directly by the U.S. judiciary system)? Those are just some of Devon Simmons’ accomplishments.
You want to live the life of a digital nomad? You want start a homebased business selling those yummy lemon bars folks are always begging you to bring when you are invited over? You want to run in the Boston Marathon? What are you waiting for? For the full in-depth and inspiring insights from Shaun, Diedre, Devon , Vijaya, Richard and others enjoy this New York Times feature, “Ten Insightful Tips From People Who Prove It’s Not Too Late.” If you are at all like me you will gravitate to it more than once. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/01/style/new-years-resolutions-quotes-tips.html?smid=url-share