Age Is Just A Number

Day 216

“Follow your passion. The rest will attend to itself. If I can do it, anybody can do it. It’s possible. And it’s your turn. So go for it. It’s never too late to become what you always wanted to be in the first place.”

– J. Michael Straczynski

I’ve been behind with my writing for a couple of weeks, and I haven’t been catching up as quickly as I usually do, so I started this series a week late, which turned out to be a blessing.

The universe works in perfect symmetry, always giving you what you need, when you need it.

If I had been on schedule, this Lose Your Mind, Find Your Soul series would’ve been completed before the Rio Games began, and I can’t imagine better examples than Olympic athletes to show you what’s possible when you tap into your unlimited potential.

Today’s example is no exception.

I’ve written many posts on this topic before, but it’s one of the most prevalent limiting beliefs I’m aware of, so it definitely warrants another conversation. Hopefully, it’ll help you clear the belief that ‘it’s too late / I’m too old / not old enough to pursue my dreams.‘

This belief about what we can and should do at certain ages seems to be with us right from the start. Fortunately, this is one of those beliefs that we can look at examples in our world to show us that there is no reason to believe that we have to slow down once we get older, or to wait until we’re old enough to accomplish anything we desire.

Colonel Sanders was 65 years-old when he began working on his dream of a fried chicken empire, and Peter Roget didn’t create the first thesaurus until he was 73 years-old. I don’t even have to look that far to find proof that you can achieve anything you want at any age – my mother re-invented herself, became an yoga instructor, and all-round diva grandma in her late ’70s, but today’s spotlight is on another lady they call grandma. 41 year-old Olympian gymnast Oksana Chusovitina is still competing, and has a good shot at the vault finals. That’s just part of this amazing woman’s story.

In 2002, her son was diagnosed with leukemia, and offered treatment in Germany. As a way to thank the country for its kindness and her son’s life, Chusovitina began competing for Germany in 2006. With her debt repaid by her medal in the 2008 Beijing Games, she resumed representing Uzbekistan. In 2012, Chusovitina said that the London Olympics would be her last. When reminded of that in Rio last night, she said  “I felt that I could do more.” In response to being asked when she will stop competing, she answered “I’m alive, I’m well. That means everything’s OK.”

I’m alive, I’m well. That means everything’s OK. That’s so awesome!

Chusovitina is among a growing number who don’t let their age keep them from doing what they love, and kicking butt doing it! Take a look at these other amazing older Olympians, who are blazing the trail for the rest of us.

If you still have the lingering belief that it’s too late to pursue your dreams, or you’re too old or too young to do or be or have whatever your heart desires, tap them away using this script.

“It’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be.”

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Age is just a number, just ask my mother!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!