From the widely celebrated American poet, Walt Whitman, to Irish-born writer William O’Flaherty, and even the legendary physicist Albert Einstein, one thought most great people agree with is that you are never too old to set another goal.
If that truth sounds familiar to you, it is because you have probably seen a meme or inspirational quote with the same words ascribed to popular American writer C.S. Lewis.
However, detailed research by Quote Investigator has revealed that the statement was initially made by the famous motivational speaker and author Les Brown, in his 1992 book titled Live Your Dreams.
According to Quote Investigator’s findings, Les Brown said those exact words to a gentleman at a conference who challenged him to explain how the encouraging speech he had delivered from the podium could help someone within the lower age bracket.
The man who was approaching retirement, felt a fire rekindle in his heart when Les Brown replied with;
“Oh yes, you have a lot to give. The fact that you are still here on this planet means that your business is NOT DONE.”
But the sad reality is that the man in the book is not alone. All over the internet and on social media, there is an increasing demand for instant gratification.
Everyone wants to succeed immediately, as though there is a stopwatch on the journey to achieving your dreams.
The pressure is so intense that it has forced many good people to begin cutting corners and dabbling into nefarious activities because they feel they are about to run out of time.
Why You Are Never Too Old To Set Another Goal
Whether young or old, big or small, no person can live a life worth living without purpose.
It is quite impossible to achieve any kind of success without having clear goals in the driver’s seat of your life.
The Age Myth
The truth is that you can never be too young or too old to chase your dreams. Even frail old people stuck in nursing homes have certain things they still wish they could accomplish.
What is holding most people back is the lie that society has repeated to them since childhood, saying they need to be productive in their youth so they can rest in old age.
But the truth is that history does not support that assertion. In fact, history is filled with thousands of great men and women who achieved extraordinary feats in their old age.
These brave men and women were not afraid to reinvent themselves and look past the false limitations and negative thoughts the world constantly tried to feed them.
Charles Darwin’s famous book, On The Origin of Species, which changed the course of science forever was published when he was 50 years old.
Grandma Moses, a widely celebrated twentieth-century artist whose work was sold posthumously in 2006 for $1.2 million, didn’t pick up a paintbrush until she was 78 years old.
Barbara Hillary beat cancer and became one of the oldest people, as well as the first black woman, to reach the North Pole at 75 years old. And then there’s 77 years old John Glenn who became the oldest person to go into space.
If you go on the internet and search for great accomplishments by old people, you will be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of results.
People of all ages are pushing the envelope and ticking things off their bucket lists. And it all begins with setting a new goal.
Importance of Goals
Goals are necessary for pushing you forward and providing the right motivation and guidance you need to stand tall and live your dreams.
In addition to helping you clearly set your priorities, the right goals can also serve as reliable means for measuring how close you are to the positive good things you want in your life.
Goals inform your choices, and actions, and help you know when you need to make vital changes that will propel you toward success.
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Keeping An Open Mind
Though we live on the same planet, every one of us is trodding down a completely different journey filled with unique experiences meant for us alone.
From time to time, our interests might align and cause our paths to cross, through it all we have to understand that we remain the center of our own story.
We are the masters of our fate and the captains of our destinies.
Anything we imagine is possible. All we need to do is figure out a way to transform our thoughts into reality.
And for that, there is no stopwatch. The only limitations in our lives are the ones we have accepted to submit to.
So keep your mind free of doubt and open to all the wonderful opportunities that are within your grasp. You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to, as long as you believe in yourself.
Final Thoughts
“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it.” – Mandy Hale
Just like Mandy says, you need to find the courage to live life on your own terms. The key to that is to fight against your fear of failure and set a new dream or goal Regardless of how much hard work you put in, some things won’t work properly the first few times.
But the good news is that no law says you can not keep trying until you get it right. Mistakes are a vital part of the success-building process.
The big difference between losers and winners is that losers never try again.
So while it’s perfectly okay to be content with the life you have now, always trust in your ability to make it better. Let your imagination run wild from time to time.
Imagination is the key to new thought patterns and new learnings.
Your skin can grow old, but your heart will always be young as the morning sun. Shine!
