I am too Old
One of the things people tell themselves why they cannot follow their dreams is “I am too old”. I told myself this when it came to my childhood dream of becoming a ballet dancer. I was not allowed to do ballet as a child. Even through my teens, I told myself that I was too old because I believed that you had to start ballet as a child to be successful. I imagined that even if I started then, I would be the oldest in a class full of children and would feel embarrassed.
It took me till the age of thirty to realise
- That I didn’t want to become a professional dancer anymore anyway because that life is really hard and I wouldn’t be physically capable of doing it.
- That the (medical) reasons why I wasn’t allowed to learn ballet were bullshit and on the contrary it would have benefited my body.
- That I still could start ballet classes now.
So I did :). And lo and behold, there were beginners classes for adults!
Unless it is something that requires extreme physical fitness and agility, there is no reason why you cannot start doing it at any age. If it is a childhood dream, ask yourself:
- Do I really want this life still?
- Can I bring an aspect of that dream into my life now?
I realised I didn’t want to be a professional dancer, but I could still take ballet classes for fun. And that was enough. What part of your dream can you bring into your life now?
Our society and work life is changing. Most of us will be working longer with higher life expectancy and at some point you will have to change jobs or careers. So, why not start considering now what you would be doing if you lost your job? Better be prepared than fall into a hole when you are suddenly let go from a job that you have been doing for 20 years. And as it is harder to get a new job when you are over 50, try and find something that you love. Your chances of finding a job you actually care about are much higher because you will be more motivated to get it and come across as passionate and enthusiastic in interviews.
You might have another 40, 50, 60 years here on this earth. Would you not rather spend them doing something that fulfills you and gives you joy?
Do you need help figuring out what you want to do or making your dream a reality? Book in for a FREE 20-minute Pathfinding Consultation here.
Photo by Jamie Mink