“The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
I just recently celebrated my birthday, my 31st birthday to be exact. Birthdays are a pretty big deal! They are a time to celebrate and be grateful for another year of life with family and friends. I get spoiled by my family with yummy food, drinks, and gifts. They sure know how to keep this girl happy. Birthdays are just a special time of the year. For me, they have also served as a time for reflection: How is life? What things have I accomplished? What other goals do I have in mind? It’s a great time to check in with myself.
As I get older and am able to reflect on my life, I realize that I am not exactly where I had envisioned myself years ago. (Check out Jen Single’s recent blog about her own journey) There are many things unaccomplished that I thought by age 31, I would have certainly checked off my list. I am falling behind, it seems others are just passing me by and simply kicking butt in their personal and professional lives. I convince myself that it is either too late or I am too old for certain things. That’s it, life is just over. (Okay, a bit too dramatic but our negative chatter can take us there.)
Where It All Starts
Society, social media, television, people, etc., all play a role in what we think our lives should look like once we grow up. Without realizing it, we follow societal timelines of when we should be married, have the perfect career, have kids and so on. No one else, but ourselves, puts pressure to accomplish all these things. If we fail to do so, we feel like we are disappointing everyone. Such a lie!
Thinking back to when I was a little girl, I thought I knew exactly how my life was going to be. I could not wait until I was older to graduate, move out, have a career, get married and have kids. It all seemed pretty simple. I would just go out into the world and make all this happen. No problem right? But then real life happened and I no longer was following this timeline and truthfully, I felt like a failure.
Falling Behind
I became a mother at the age of 19, during my freshman year of college. At that time, nothing else seemed as important as raising my daughter so I decided to put everything else in my life on hold. I mean, nothing else mattered right? My education could wait, my career could wait, my goals could wait. I convinced myself that all these goals were not a priority at the time and that I would just get back to them later in life.
Well, “later in life” came, and while challenging at times, I managed to go back to school, on and off for a couple years, but I did make it back. There is still more to achieve academically and in other areas of my life. And yes, it’s later than what I had originally planned for, but what matters is that I continue to improve myself and my life.
Many things have happened in my life that have allowed me to shift and redirect my work to something that is more meaningful. I may worry often about what the world may think of this woman who dares to continue to go to school at my age or start this crazy speaking career or perhaps, change the world. But what I worry about the most, is that I don’t pursue what is in my heart regardless of how long it takes.
This Is Your Life
Keep in mind, life is a series of ups and downs and our plans and goals may not end up exactly how we envisioned them. There is no pressure from anyone else but you. This is your life and it should be lived at your own pace and rhythm.
The societal timeline is BS…you are on your own timeline, you are in charge.
You want to go back to school after being gone for 10 years? Perfect, do it, this is your life!
You want to write a book but you don’t have it all figured out? Perfect, you will, this is your life!
You want to skydive at 85? Amazing, this is your life!
Go For It, It Is Never Too Late!
Ditch society’s timeline and simply be focused and committed to your own. There are dreams and goals that have been placed inside of you for a reason, you are the perfect one to make them come to fruition.
Go for it, it is never too late!!
