It’s never too late: Stop asking ‘why now?’ and ask ‘why not?’

Photo by eberhard  grossgasteiger on Unsplash

The advice…

It’s never too late to: learn something new, change your mind or your path, say ‘I’m sorry’…

Where it’s coming from…

Life is just as valuable - no matter what age we are. Yet we are often trapped into believing that youth is privileged over old age.

Childhood is filled with play, new discoveries and learning. Adolescence and later years also have their fair share of new experiences, learning and a strong sense of self-discovery and acceptance. Then comes mid-life, followed by old age, where we tend to expect ourselves to “stay put” in the life we picked. Some people even fade away.

But why? Starting from the premise that life is just as valuable at any age, as long as there is life we can evolve, change, grow.

The only person who can stop you from living a full life - for all your life - is yourself. So let’s top asking ourselves: “why now?” And swap it with: “why not?”

Which means that, if we manage to shake off societal stereotypes, a 50-year-old can learn a new craft, language or whatever they desire just like a 10-year-old can. It means a 60-year-old should not feel it’s too late to apologise to a loved-one or go dancing with friends, just like a 20-year-old. It means that if you want to start writing a book at the age of 70 - why not?

This is a feeling I find myself having to fight - the feeling that ‘it’s too late now’. But when I stop and rationalise it, who on earth put an expiry date on new experiences, or on living a full life? The only person who can block those experiences and stop you from living a full life - for all your life - is yourself.

So let’s stop asking ourselves: “why now?” and swap it with: “why not?”