“You’re Never Too Old…”

“You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – CS Lewis

What a great saying! So upbeat, so positive, so reaffirming.

But you’ve gotta ask, “Is it really true?” I’ve concluded that there may be a time when setting another goal or dreaming a new dream is indeed impossible – but (and this is a big BUT) – not being able to do so isn’t really related to your age. So I’ll tell you my bias right up front. When I’m around, don’t use “age” as an excuse for not achieving, or changing, or improving, or yes, even dreaming new dreams or setting new goals.

But if you live long enough, you’re bound to experience some of life’s difficult challenges. You may learn that sometimes a door that was open will be shut in front of you and regardless of how fervently you hope or pray or dream, that door will not ever open again.

Recently a 48-year old NH police chief was killed in the line of duty only 8 days before he was to officially retire. He and his wife had a month long vacation planned. His wife has seen the doorway to a wonderful retirement slammed fiercely in her face and she’ll no longer be able to set new goals or dream new dreams that involve her now deceased husband, but that’s not because she’s too old. It’s because life has intervened.

Some of us may have lost jobs – and may be having a tough time finding new work. It’s hard to be positive with that cloud overhead. But do keep setting new goals. Explore new avenues, hone your skills, network and connect. You may feel at times that you’re facing discrimination because of your age – and you may very well be right. But don’t let that keep you down. If a doorway has been slammed shut in front of you, move sideways instead.

Every time a door has been slammed shut in my face, (and there have been many slammings over the years), I’ve fought hard to rise out of the ashes and dream a new dream. Some may think it’s harder to dream new dreams if you’re After Fifty. Actually, After Fifty dreams are probably “better quality” dreams, as they’ve been honed by years of experience and the wisdom that comes with maturity. As a group, we’re probably more insightful about what will and won’t work.

So will we ever be too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream? I say age alone won’t prevent new goal setting. What about you – do you have a new goal, a new dream?

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