When is too old considered too old? Is it 30 to a 5 year old? Is it 60 to a 20 year old? I feel you are as old as you feel. Even though I am only 41 years old, sometimes I feel like I am 20 when I am doing activities with my family. Other times I feel I am all of 41 plus some when I am with people who are much younger than me in the classroom.
Am I too old to follow my dreams? Well, almost three years ago, I found out the hard way that I was too old to follow my biggest dream of being a soldier in the United States Army. I got to basic training and my heart did not like the stress. So I got sent home. Last year, I started on my next biggest dream of becoming a chef. I started classes at OTC in the summer taking online courses. At that point, I told my wife I am too old for this. She encouraged me by saying you never stop learning and are never too old to go back to school. Then the fall semester began. Wow did I ever think I was too old to be at school! Most of the students in my classes were 15 to 20 years younger than me. I found out that I can learn from them as much as they can learn from me. I have learned a lot in the last year about how young I feel.
When it came time for me to decide whether or not I was too old to follow my dream of becoming a chef, I considered the following thoughts.
Is my dream unrealistic? No. If I do my best and try my hardest, I will realize my dream.
Am I going to follow my dream someday? Someday is today. If I waited for someday, I will still be in my factory job taking pain killers to get through each day. Someday is today!
Will I be able to get a job when I get done? I don’t know what I will get when I am finished. I do know that people will always need to eat. I will find something to pad my resume’ with and work up from there until I can have my own business.
In answer to the blog question, do I feel too old to pursue my dream, the answer is no. I feel old enough to be mature, but still young enough to have fun while learning.
Kickin cakes,
Mike
That's awesome! I always grew up wanting to be a pastry chef, but I've never asked myself if I was too old, really just if I can handle the stress of running a business and having to deal with so much at once.
ReplyDeleteThis is great, I ask myself this same question all the time. I'm I to old to do this. You really inspired me today thanks.
ReplyDeleteMike - I look forward to an e-mail inviting me to your restaurant some day. Here is a favorite quote of mine that got me through college later in the game..."It is never too late to be what you might have been." ~George Elliot (who was a woman when woman were not writers). ~Ms. A.
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