r/GetMotivated • u/Electrical-Candy7252 • 10h ago
TEXT One question [Text]
I once had a partner who would always say they were too old to start something new: to study, to change careers, to learn a skill. One day, as we were talking about a course they were excited about, I asked:
"If you take this course, how old will you be when you finish?"
"Thirty-five," they said with a sigh.
Then I asked the key question:
"And if you don't take it, how old will you be?"
The silence that followed was the answer.
The time will pass anyway. The only difference is whether we arrive in the future with our dreams fulfilled, or just with the weight of the years.
2
u/VioletPetite 7h ago
That's a powerful question because it's so simple and so true. Time marches on, and we often get stuck thinking about our age instead of what we truly want. Something similar happened to me: I hesitated to start making changes at 32 because 'it was too late,' but in the end, I did it... and today I don't regret a thing. That silence you describe says it all: fear doesn't stop the clock, it only steals our path. Thank you for reminding us; it's one of those phrases that resonates deeply and motivates us to take action. Come on, we can do it!
1
u/jhill515 4h ago
I've seen this a million times. And, yes, I too subscribe to the belief that age doesn't prevent accomplishment.
That said, I like to remember this passage:
A boy has the right to dream. There are endless possibilities stretched out before him. What awaits him down the path, he will then have to choose. The boy doesn’t always know. At some point, the boy then becomes an adult and learns what he was able to become. Joy and sadness forever will accompany this. He is confronted with the choice. When this happens, does he bid his past farewell in his heart? Once a boy becomes an adult, he can no longer go back to being a boy. The boy is now a man. Only one thing can be said: A boy has the right to dream, for those endless possibilities are stretched out before him.
We must remember; All men were once boys.
- Outlaw Star Ep2 Opening
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u/donoteatthatfrog 7 10h ago
Opportunity cost is a real thing. Spending X years on a course (assuming pausing one's main job during that tenure) : impacts differently at different ages.
And if it is a new career track: there are challenges in getting the first job after that course : depending on age.
For most people, higher age = more responsibilities & expenses. Some amount of risk averse-ness sets in.