Never Too Late; Never Too Old
Are you struggling with the turning of the calendar to 2022? Do you feel hopeless or depressed at the thought of another year has come and gone without you achieving dreams you’ve dreamed for years?
It’s not too late! Every day is a new opportunity for a fresh start. Maybe you are thinking, “I’ve already started fresh, hundreds of times. Why would this time be any different?” The answer lies in finding a new strategy. Don’t repeat history. If something didn’t work last time, it would not work this time either.
What is your dream? Take a few minutes (or hours) to sit and reflect on what worked and what didn’t work. I will give an example from my own life. Four months ago, I set a goal to lose sixty pounds by my spring of 2022 60th birthday. It was a completely doable goal, considering there were eight months to achieve the goal. Yeah. That was four months ago. Now there are only four months left. It isn’t probable that I will lose 60 pounds by my 60th birthday. However, it is still possible to lose 60 pounds before two of my kids get married in the summer/fall. I’m almost afraid to talk about this with you because I have failed before. The enemy has tried to convince me I am too old to lose the weight, that it’s too late to make a difference in my health. As I sit and ponder and renew my determination, I reflect on what went wrong.
Galatians 5: 7-8 says, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.” I was running a good race. I’d lost 14 pounds before life gut-punched me again, with a daughter facing a seven-year prison sentence. The enemy derailed me from many goals I set for the fall as I struggled emotionally. I stood then fell, stood again, and fell again. I was running a good race, but the enemy cut in on me.
I have a choice to make. I can wallow in the fact it isn’t probable to lose the other 44 pounds in the next 14 weeks. However, it is possible if I set my face like a flint. It will be an hour-by-hour battle to make the right choices. I started this afternoon by packing up all of the Christmas cookies and candies bestowed upon us this week. I ate salad for lunch instead of the pasta I wanted to eat. We are going to dinner later, and I have already decided to ask for the baked haddock instead of the fried shrimp I want. Choices. I’ve set my face like a flint. I know the outfits I want to wear as the mother of the bride and mother of the groom, and they won’t look good unless I work hard. It’s time.
Let’s talk about something besides the proverbial weight loss goals so many of us set. Do you have a dream of a particular career? Why aren’t you pursuing it? Do you feel like it is too late? You’re too old? I don’t know how old you are, but I assure you I know many who were in their fifties and sixties when they returned to school to get the degree they’ve always desired. I know others who made a complete job and career change this past year, even when it made no sense. I have a friend who is getting her nursing degree, and she is fifty-two. After spending more than twenty years as a heavy equipment operator, I have another friend who is obtaining her certification as a substance abuse counselor. A male friend of mine has always dreamed of doing stand-up comedy and is making his debut this month at fifty-six.
What is it you want to do? What steps can you take in 2022 to move toward your dreams? Do you need to enroll in an educational program? Attend a writer’s conference? Find a resume writer and pursue a job change? Do you need to make an appointment to see the doctor, dentist, or counselor and address lingering issues? What is it that you’ve yet to do and feel it is now too late to do? It’s never too late, and you are never too old to pursue your dreams. Rise up, dear friend, rise up and take the first step!
