When I wrote the founding post of this blog, I concluded with this quote from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late …. to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”
Today, I want to double-down on that wisdom and reiterate the simple truth that it’s never too late to change.
If you’ve been heading in the wrong direction for a long time, you can still change course. It’s not too late to turn around. If you feel like it’s not worth it to change because you’ve wasted too much time, remember that everything counts.
If you’ve been living with a bad habit for a long time, would it have been better to stop years ago? Of course. But it’s not too late to quit. If you’ve been putting off starting a project for a long time, would it have been better to begin years ago? Of course. But it’s not too late to start. Remember this Chinese proverb:
“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second-best time is right now.”
If you did someone wrong years ago, you can still reach out and make amends. It’s not too late to apologize. If someone did you wrong, and you’ve been holding a grudge for years, you can still let go of your resentment. It’s not too late to forgive.
If you’ve been struggling alone for as long as you can remember, it’s not too late to ask for help. If you’ve long known someone who needed help, and you feel guilty that you haven’t been there for them, it’s not too late to lend a hand.
If there’s something you’ve always wanted to know or a skill you’ve always wished you had, it’s not too late to learn. Your brain is made to change. You can continue to mold your mind until the day you die because the clay never dries.
Even if you’re too old to radically change the course of your own life, the example you set by working to change course anyway might inspire others who have more time. It’s not too late to lead by example.