I firmly believe that so much of who we are has to do with the element of fear. There is an old saying that goes “if you always do what you always did then you will always be what you always are.” Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, this famous quote is only a reflection of truth in the form of insight. If you are looking for more of a guide, you have to go deeper. Where are words that have serious influences on our lives, like hope and love within this quote? What about fear? For as much as our fears can warn us and guide us towards safety, they can also lead us to an amputated spirit.
I don’t know what it is about age, but people hit a certain number and crippling fear sets in like any other form of disease. For some it may be milestone numbers like 25, 30, 40, 50 or even 60. For others, it may not be so much about a number, but an event during a year that set a precedent in a person’s life. I have a friend who turned 40 recently and this “number” would not stop eating at him. He basically thought life was over. He talked about buying a home, raising a family, and going back to school to get his masters. He topped it all off by saying his major life goals were all so out of reach. Well, I heard just about enough when he was going on and on, I simply said, “Do you know that 40 is the new 30?” His eyes lit up like a child. Even further, I mentioned that people today were getting married at later ages. I told him banks are tighter than they have ever been so NO ONE is buying a house unless they have serious cash. I explained to him that if he wanted to get his masters or doctorate degree he could do it easily online. Even if he wanted to get a different bachelors degree, it was accessible.
As much as people may feel old, try to remember that because of technology and its impact on our world, we have literally taken years off our number. If you have goals and want to try new endeavors such as going back to school or changing your career path, then do it! No matter what your age is, it really is never too late. Get an online degree and don’t let your fears stop you.
This was a really good article – it’s been true in my life for sure that as I hit these ‘milestone’ ages that I start to panic a little more every year. It’s like when I turned 45 – it hit me: “I’m never going to be an astronaut”…keep in mind, I never actually wanted to be one, but when you’re younger it seems there are more open doors. I think that in today’s age – one of the best things you can do is just go back to school. You have to be proactive and make the doors open for you. Thanks again.