It's Never Too Late to Dream a New Dream

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis

I feel like every year as my birthday approaches, I find myself thinking a lot more about aging and life in general. Each trip around the sun brings new lessons, perspectives, and a deeper awareness of what really matters. Recently, my family went through a health scare with my dad, and it gave me pause into how I should be viewing life and aging.

First, my dad is doing well. He's recovering, heading home in good spirits with his crazy sense of humor fully in tact lol. And going through this experience, I worked to stay present, aware, and even in uncertain moments to give myself the space to practice GRATITUDE.

You see, I'm always reading — whether it’s one of the many books I pick up or lessons shared by spiritual teachers — my mind tends to roll those ideas around again and again. And it isn't until something real happens in my own life — like a personal experience, hardship or struggle that I truly get the chance to “practice” the lessons in real time. That's when it moves from something I'm just thinking about into something I can actually feel, live, and practice from my heart.

My father’s health scare was one of those eye-opening moments. In the time we spent waiting for updates, I felt myself move from a state of worry into a place of surrender and gratitude. Because in those moments up until we were able to see him, there was nothing I could do but wait and pray. 

And so, instead of playing all of the crazy and scary “what if” scenarios in my mind that I usually do, I waited and I prayed. I practiced gratitude. I focused on appreciating the time my dad has, the time I have, the time we all have. It brought on a bit of an existential moment of sorts and from there, I’ve been intentionally working each day to focus on the things in my life I am most grateful for. Which brings me to the quote above…

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis 

As my dad leaves the hospital and heads home, he’s already setting a new goal and creating a new dream for himself — through his willingness to try new things and take better care of his health. Watching him has inspired me to create a new dream, too.

As I move into my 49th year around the sun, this dream feels less about a traditional “goal” and more about getting back to what truly matters. It’s the list I often run through in my head when I need to move myself out of fear and back into gratitude — health, family, friends, support, opportunity — but now, it feels clearer than ever.

It’s about letting go of the small, insignificant things I tend to fixate on: the wrinkles on my neck or the age spots on my face. It’s about releasing the constant worry about my kids’ futures and how they’ll “turn out,” and loosening my grip on the fear of how I’ll be judged or what my value is as I get older. And to overcome the fears and insecurities that take over my mind as an entrepreneur. 

Through this experience, I've realized that aging isn't a countdown to some “inevitable end.” It's an invitation — an opportunity to see the gifts that are right in front of me . . . And to keep setting new goals or dream a new dream. Everyday I wake up is another opportunity to learn, grow and live fully.