A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.
- John Barrymore
I was watching Peter Pan (the 2003 version) today and the struggle in the movie between holding on to youthful dreams and growing old struck a chord with me. Why does growing old have to mean letting go of our dreams? I think we need to re-examine that position. Growing old is technically an automatic thing, while growing up is optional. There are a lot of older people who let go of their dreams, put on a proper suit for a proper job in a proper office, and still manage not to grow up. You've seen many of the high-profile, male members of this group on the front page of newspapers after getting busted in an affair or some other scandal. What I want is to grow wiser and to always be dreaming and making bold moves in accordance with those dreams as I grow old. Enter the John Barrymore quote from above. It is an encouraging quote for those whose timelines are busted or who are wondering whether it is too late. If you don’t have children who need to be taken care of, it’s definitely not too late to take a new path, pursue the desire you dropped by the wayside, or restart and finish the project you were too rational to defend. Our world is desperately in need of people who are alert and whose hearts and ears are tuned to what is going on around them. In order to be that sort of person, one would have to have taken a path in life that did not cause them to ignore their God-given calling and desires, because those are the people whose hearts are still open and responsive. It’s as Howard Thurman once said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” As long as you’re still breathing, you can turn those “I wish I’d…” statements into, “I’m going to…” So, friend, keep on keeping on.
Much Love
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