I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that clients are either in a rush, or just plain giving up, because “they’re too old” to follow their dreams. Below are some inspiring facts that I like to remember, whenever I’m feeling rushed about something I want in life:
- Stan Lee, the creator of Marvel, created his first hit comic at 39. He went on to create characters like Spiderman that still fuel imaginations everywhere today.
- Donald Fisher, at aged 40, opened his first ever retail store in 1969. Know the store? Sure you do, it’s “Gap” – and is still around today.
- Vera Wang, at the same age of 40, decided to start a fashion line.
- Harland “Colonel” Sanders decided to start a chicken restaurant aged 62. It became K.F.C.
- Hiromu Inada at the age of 85 became the oldest athlete to ever complete an Ironman triathlon, one of the most difficult, strenuous races in existence.
- Ray Croc saw the opportunity with a burger stall aged 52. He called it “McDonalds”.
- Martha Stewart started a catering company that became a cooking empire, in her 40s.
- Julia Child didn’t start acting until her 50s.
- J.R.R. Tolkein was the age of 45 when he published The Hobbit, which became an instant success and his publicist asked him to write more. J.R.R. spent the next 20 years working on the sequel series, The Lord of the Rings.
- Harry Bernstein wanted to write a book all his life. He finally did, aged 93, and it became a bestseller when it was published at 96.
- Gladdys Burrill ran her first marathon at 86. Then won awards when she ran a marathon in Honolulu at 92.
- Peter Roget was 69 when he started to create a catalogue of words categorized by their meaning. “Rogets Thesaurus Of English Words And Phrases” was published when he was 73.
- Kathryn Joosten started working as a street performer aged 53. At aged 60 she was starring in the show The West Wing and won an Emmy.
- Betty White’s career has spanned eight decades, and while she found success in her 30s in the sitcom Life With Elizabeth, her most famous roles came much later. She was 51 when she started appearing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 63 when she starred as Rose on The Golden Girls, and 88 when she joined the cast of Hot In Cleveland.
I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, it’s never too late to start something new. As long as you have the drive, and the desire, the world is still your oyster!
