As long as you live, it’s never too late

After a couple of challenging months, I am finally back in the saddle. People seek me out for my skillset, not just the coaching. Instead of hiding away, I am spending more time outdoors. I feel better in my own skin and I cannot stop smiling. While I am still not back to my daily dose of coffee, I have the occasional cup and it makes me ridiculously happy. As in: squeal-like-a-demented-piglet-happy. I’ve made peace with the fact that I’ve reached the age where I have to pencil on my eyebrows (I lost most of them due to stress and while I’ve been hoping for the past year that they’d grow back eventually, it seems that this will not be the case). But you know what? That’s okay. I got a lot in return for ageing. Which, admittedly, is a rather novel mindset - and a tricky one, not just for me.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard friends, family, and clients postulate that it’s too late to do something. So here are ten things for which you aren’t too old:

1. Discovering new music that just resonates 100% with your current mood and then playing it on a loop in your mind.
   

2. Being bad at something new and having a good laugh while you’re at it. Whether you keep going or not is secondary.
   

3. Making new connections with people - colleagues, neighbours, people with similar interests, random people you happen to share space with.
   

4. Being curious. About people, things, the world, the universe. You never know what the most ordinary day might hold in terms of new discoveries.
   

5. Playing. With others, with your pet, on an instrument, with everyday objects. Hell, go and play with your food, who’s going to tell you off?
   

6. Stopping something you don’t enjoy. No matter how long you’ve been doing the thing for, it doesn’t mean you have to continue indefinitely.
   

7. Starting a new habit. The annoying truth is that consistency will yield results - so better start now than never.
   

8. Expressing yourself in creative ways. Write a short story. Journal. Sing. Dance. Get into lino printing. Whatever allows you to channel those vibes.
   

9. Starting over. Sunk cost thinking can be a burden, but if you are genuinely miserable, it’s not too late to do something different.
   

10. Forgiving yourself. No matter how long you’ve been at war with yourself, you can find the self-compassion required to make peace.

What other points can you think of? And what will you do with that knowledge?