It's NEVER Too Late
To begin again
That’s the title of Julie Cameron’s book, published in 2016. At that time, I picked up the book but never read it. Now, 10 years later, I find it more interesting than I did.
The list of what “I want to be when I grow up” never really ended. I wanted to be a writer, a singer, an artist, a ballerina, and an airline stewardess. Oh, and a horse. I wanted to be a horse. Which probably shows me how young I was when I started my list.
When I turned 29, I remember thinking I should cross “ballerina” off my list. Recently, though, I read a story about how ballet studios are now offering Silver Swan or beginner-friendly classes for older adults. These focus on grace and movement, and not getting on our toes.
But some folks have a hard time becoming a beginner again. For those who have spent decades mastering their craft, becoming a beginner again can feel as daunting—and as invigorating—as starting a new job. We become so associated with our previous roles that we can’t bear the thought of being a beginner.
How easy it is to fall victim to our inner sceptic. Oh, she tells us everything we need to hear about protecting our ego. And friends and family can be just as vocal, listing all the reasons that what we want to explore is a piss-poor idea. And that we’ll FAIL.
That’s so predictable that we need to have a plan in place before we even share our ideas.
That plan calls for us to write down what we want to explore. THEN all the reasons we will give ourselves for not being able to do it. It’s an argument with ourselves!
Such as:
Me: I’d like to explore the whole ballet thing again.
Sceptic: Are you crazy? You’re waaay too old.
Me: I think it’ll be fun, and I’ll get some exercise, strengthen my core, and meet some new people.
Sceptic: That’s nuts. You want to be the fat-old-dear in a tutu? You’ll hurt yourself!
Me: Well, no, but I can still put on comfortable clothes and stand at the barre and practice the five basic positions. And there will be others my age. Maybe I’ll get to do some dancing. It’ll be fun!
Sceptic: Wait until your friends and family find out.
Me: Oh well. It’s for me. Maybe they’ll want to join me!
So who would win in this argument? We would! And now we’re off to explore the best beginner ballet classes available in our area for mature women.
What did you learn about yourself when you tried this exercise? Is your reason based on fear or ego or both? What old interests are you ready to explore now? Drop it here! Share your argument if you like and tell us who won!
Hello, I’m Michelle, an animal Reiki master, a companion animal end-of-life doula, and a spiritual coach.
I write about aging, change, and joy. And about loving the animals and people who make our lives brighter.
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I love this. Becoming a beginner again can be scary, especially after years of knowing how to be good at things. But giving an old interest another chance is such a beautiful thing.
When I was “busy” in my business, I didn’t do things I’d always wanted to do. Time, money, access. More recently, I found myself looking forward rather than back. I could go through some of the arguments about past desires, but I’m happy with writing fiction, and I don’t find a need to look back - it would/could consume my time and energy.
However, the beginner thing - I tend to surge forward without becoming an expert first. Learning on the move.
I think I’ve always been that way.