Never Too Old
"I'm too old to do it now.........."
I was waiting at the school gates, doing the usual school pick up when I happened to catch the eye of a woman standing near me.
I smiled awkwardly at her (trying to strike that balance between being friendly but not stalky) and she smiled back. We struck up a conversation.
She was there to pick up her grandchildren and we were chatting about the activities the kids did after school.
"Oh, I would have loved to learn how to play the piano," she said with a wistful smile, "but there was no money for such things in my family. There were five of us kids. Mum and dad had a hard enough time keeping food on the table".
My ear had become attuned to picking up on that dreamy way people talk about things that light them up. "Why not learn now?" I asked.
"Oh no, I'm too old to do it now!"
It made my heart break a little. This beautiful lively grandmother didn't learn how to play the piano when she was young because there was no money. She likely didn't learn it as a middle aged adult because she was too busy bringing up her own children. And now she wasn't going to learn how to play the piano because she was too old.
The most heart breaking thing was that she actually had a baby grand piano in her house! She had bought it for her teenage granddaughter to practice on.
What excuse are you using to keep joy at bay for you? The most common reasons I hear are:
not enough money
not enough time
not enough energy
I get it, I really do. I'm a working mother of 3 young kids. I fall back on those excuses more times than I'd like to admit.
But there's usually another layer beneath those excuses. Perhaps you feel selfish for directing some of your time/energy/money towards yourself when you have a family to look after. Perhaps you think it's self indulgent to do something that lights you up when you can't (or don't want to) make money from doing it. Perhaps you think you're not creative enough or confident enough or clever enough. Perhaps you're freaking scared of finally doing the thing that you've been dreaming of for years and then failing at it. What dream will you have to cling to then?
I think the better question is: what is it costing you to NOT find out what lies on the other side of your excuses?
So many of my clients who shyly whispered their dream into the room the first time I met them (the virtual zoom room where all our sessions are held) have gone on to do the things that light them up. There have been fulfilling new hobbies, signing up for courses to learn something they've always been interested in, new jobs and in some cases, an entire change of career.
Are you ready to find out what lies on the other side of your excuses? Are you ready to feel LIT up? Do you want the support of someone who will lovingly call you out on your excuses and elevate you to create a life that feels joyful and meaningful to you?
What is it costing you to NOT find out what lies on the other side of your excuses? Will you be the grandmother who wistfully stares at her granddaughter playing the piano or will you take one tiny step in the direction of your happiness?
