It's Never Too Late

Today I'd like to talk to the 30 and 40 something women that are looking at their lives and saying, "I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life."  Maybe you've been a mom for a long time.  Maybe you've been working non stop because you didn't want to waste money on a degree that you would not even use down the road.  There are thousands of reasons you may be at this juncture.  You're unsure and nervous about what's next for you.

The best way I could describe the feeling for me was this: For years, I had been riding around in a boat.  Now, the boat was a nice sturdy boat and it had taken me on many adventures but many years ago, I began to notice a tiny leak in the boat.  I'm talking ridiculously small.  The leak was letting just a small amount of water in but it was barely noticeable and I was too busy handling life on the boat to pay attention to such a tiny leak.  After many years, though, the leak had let in enough water to splash my feet in and it occurred to me that maybe I needed to start bailing out the water.  Eventually, if I let that leak go, no matter how teeny it was, it would take down the boat.  The leak hadn't changed size and it hadn't been letting in any more water than it was at first but, now it was more noticeable.  I had to make a change.

Using that metaphor, though, I want to say the following: it's never too late.  The leak isn't big enough that it will drown you for many, many more years.  You have a long time to decide what you need to do.  Now, you may have to use a bigger bucket the longer you wait, but there will still be time to bail down the road.  The difference? You'll be able to use a smaller bucket and chip away at it instead of over-the-top changes.  You can always start bailing.  You can always do something new.

If you've always wanted to go to school, go back.  Start small if you're not sure what you want to do.  Maybe, as you take classes, you'll realize what it is that you want to do.  If you've always wanted to train for a new job, do it.  If you've wanted to travel, start planning how to make that happen.  If you have always wanted to learn to paint, do it.  The sky is the limit and you can start anytime.

My point is this: Don't feel like you've passed a point where you can start something new.  Don't feel like this is your life and this is what you must deal with. There's always time to turn things around and live the life you've always wanted.