Late Bloomer? Fear Not, The Best is Yet To Come!
Do you feel like you haven’t “peaked” in life yet? No worries. It is believed that developing later on in life is perfectly healthy and normal. In fact, many people feel happier as they grow older so they are more prone to make decisions that fit the kind of life they wish to have as opposed to being younger and not fully matured—mentally and emotionally.
Our needs are very different when we’re 18 as opposed to 30. Perhaps we wanted to be a teacher in our earlier years but as life takes its turns, we find that we are most happy tapping into our creative side.
Not having success earlier in life doesn’t count you out for success in the later years. I found that so many of the successful people we know today first got their start in their early to mid 30’s. I find that adversity helps shape us into the person we need to be before our life begins to take off in a way we never envisioned.
Perhaps you were the “black sheep” of your family, received horrible grades in school, felt you were never good at anything. I am here to tell you that anything is possible. It is never too late to get your start and be all that you can be.
Below are a few ways to help you stay on course despite being a late bloomer.
Check your expectations.
When you are young, you usually have higher expectations due to less experience. As you grow older, you end up gaining more experience while having fewer expectations. It’s not that you’ve “lowered” your standards. You have just learned, through experiences, to keep your expectations in check.
Stay “hungry” for learning.
One is never too old to get additional education. I once had a friend whose father enrolled in an advanced French course when he was 75 years old! When you continue to learn, your mind stays engaged and active.
Keep a youthful mind
It’s not how old you are, but “how old you feel”. Whether you are old or not depends to a large extent on whether or not you FEEL old. If you don’t refer to yourself as old, people won’t see you as old. Age, as a category, is slowly dissolving, and you are only old if you think and feel old. It is a proven fact that although your body may become more fragile with age, other parts of you mind can remain sharp much longer.
Limit your stress.
I know you may be feeling overwhelmed at the thoughts of not having achieved the success you dreamed of. But clear your mind and focus your energy and attention on your next moves. Should you enroll in school? Could you use a mentor? What other skills sets do you need for that desired career? Figure out what’s needed and make a plan without getting stressed. Stress is never healthy and will only contribute negative thoughts—which you do not need!
A Late Bloomer Isn’t a “Never Bloomer”
What I want you to take from this article is to remain fearless. Proceed through life as if you couldn’t fail. Don’t worry about your age or other people’s opinions. You have the willpower to make all your dreams come true. Stay the course.
This guest post was authored by Soulaima Gourani
Soulaima is a TED Talks Mentor and works with corporate clients and world leaders as a World Economic Forum expert in behavioral science and education. She is a two-time author and speaks on the topics of change management, career development, leadership,entrep
