When we reflect on life it’s easy to feel that we are not exactly where we hoped to be in life. We live in a world with a constant dose of social media that fuels our outlook on our own life. We all have that moment when we compare our lives to our peers and beat ourselves for not having our life figured out. Life is never a smooth journey where a person only travels across a single path. The beauty of life is that there are a countless number of paths to discover throughout our life time and true happiness in life is knowing we all have a purpose in life.
Age is subjective
As we grow up we have all been subjected to the societal rules. ” you must know your field of study before finishing high school, You must be earning by this age , married by that age and you should have started a family years ago”. These are just some of the statements that has shaped the society we currently live in. It’s easy to feel the societal pressure as we continue to age , especially when we have not yet reached the set targets that society has put forward. It is completely normal to feel disheartened at yourself and blame yourself for not achieving those societal demands at a particular age in time. Yet in reality our lives need not be dictated through the magnifying glass of society.
We are all individuals and each and everyone of us is unique and different. Diversity is the beauty of our world. Yet society has not embraced this idea of diversity, and in a sense trapped people in a predetermined journey. This should not be your reality. Do not let the societal distinctions of where you should be at a particular age determine your life. Each person has a unique path to take in this world. Yet we do not give ourselves the opportunity to truly full fill the journey we are suppose to take. Your life does not have to be determined by the life of another, it is determined by you and only you.
It is okay to change your path after the age of 30. You can fall in love even after the age of 40 years. You can find success in a business field even after the age of 60. Age is just a number. Just because one has crossed all the boxes at the age of 35 does not exactly mean they have truly found happiness. True happiness lies in finding true purpose and self determination. The age at which we reach this stage is not specific and is subjective to each individual. So do not be disheartened if you haven’t settled down in life as others have or started a family like some and so on. We all have different paths to take and it is possible to achieve everything you wish to even at an older age. Your age is not a definition of where you are suppose to be in life. It’s never too late to start a new career, it’s never too late to fall in love and it’s never too late to correct your mistakes in life.
There are many in this world who found their true purpose and success later on in life. So do not feel alone and beat yourself for the situation you are in at this moment. You are not alone. Your time will come and your age does not determine your destiny. Therefore keep at it and pursue your dream no matter your age. A few individuals who found success at an older age are listed below. There are many more which is beyond the scope of this blog post.
- Harland Sanders is famous for creating Kentucky Fried Chicken. He was 62 years old when he franchised KFC.
- Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company. After being an engineer for most of his life, he finally found success with the Model T Ford, He was 45 years old.
- Charles Darwin was 50 years old when he published “On the Origin of the Species” which shaped the subject of evolution forever.
- Samuel L. Jackson’s was 46 years old when he finally got a starring role.
- The beloved comic book creator Stan Lee, didn’t catch his big break until he was almost 40 years old. His first comic book hit was fantastic four.
- J.K. Rowling was 36 years old when the first Harry Potter book was published.
Do not compare your life to others
It’s easy to focus on others and feel inadequate. With social media at our fingertips we are constantly bombarded with the ideal and successful lives of another. As a result we tend to look at own life in a negative outlook. Yet we fail to realize is that what we see on social media is actually not a reality. Even though on social media platforms every person seems to have it figured out, it almost never is the case. You do not see the truth hidden behind those pictures or posts.
We always make the mistake of comparing our lives to others and reflecting on our own life. It is completely normal human behavior, but we must understand that it’s impossible to compare two separate individuals. That is the beauty of life. We are all different and unique and hence you cannot in reality make a truthful comparison. Each of us are born into different situations, opportunities and we face different experiences in life that determine our journey. So we are on our own journey and not on the same path of another. So you cannot compare yourself to another individual as that comparison is not valid. But what we can do is compare yourself to who you were or what you did yesterday. Compare yourself to your own self and try to improve on your own journey and invest in yourself. Improving on yourself from what you were yesterday is true reflection and that will provide you the validation to find fulfillment in life. No, one person is better than another nor can one truly achieve more than another cause material achievement or what you put on your CV does not determine a fulfilled life. You can achieve the greatest of heights and never truly be happy with yourself. Therefore do not compare yourself to others. Look at your own life and improve on yourself and you will reach your true destiny, purpose and the success you seek. Thereby you will find true happiness.
