I just wanted to speak briefly about dreams and goals—maybe as a reminder to myself, but something to share during mental health awareness month.  You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.  There is NO time limit on something that is meant for you.  There is no expiration date on purpose.  There is no aging out of joy.  There is no past due on a dream.  In fact, I think that when we stop setting goals or having dreams we start to age faster.  Life will not stop and we are meant to evolve, why on Earth would we think that our dreams and goals need to stop at a certain time?  Why would we think that creativity has a sell-by date?  Creativity is literally a life force.  It’s a being on its own that brings out new energy, new ideas, and yes, new life, especially for the creator. 

Now, we’ve all heard stories about famous people who didn’t find their niches until later in life.  Harrison Ford was in his mid-30’s, Alan Rickman was in his 40’s, Mel Robbins in her 40’s, Grandma Moses in her 80’s, Samuel L. Jackson in his 40’s.  There are scores more.  What in our right minds are we thinking saying that if we haven’t started in our early 20’s it’s over?  What are we thinking making kids decide “what they want to be” at 18?  It’s ridiculous!  Just because something was decided doesn’t mean that’s what it has to be forever.  I mean, if we were talking several millennia ago, yeah, it was pretty important to decide quickly because your life wasn’t going to be that long. But we have been blessed with the gift of time—and as quickly as life goes, we are able to pause it by playing in the present. 

When we have a new idea, it’s important to go with it.  If we have the thought, it’s meant for us, it doesn’t matter when.  I absolutely grew up with the idea that I needed to have it all figured out by a certain age.  I wanted to be married by a certain age, have kids by a certain age, I wanted to have a certain amount of money by a certain age.  By those standards, I’m painfully behind and it gave me incredible anxiety.  But what I’ve gained with trudging along is an understanding that the things I thought I wanted I really didn’t.  Fighting for things to go my way was exhausting.  I still have some anxiety (a lot) but I genuinely enjoy the creativity that I have found in opening up to what I really love.  To finding joy.  Joy and love spark more dreams and goals and more CREATION.  Don’t put a limit on what can be because of when it happens.  Run with it.  Find life and let life find you.