It’s Never Too Late

You’re not too old to learn something new.

Unless you plan to die ten years from now, there’s still plenty of time to gain a notable level of proficiency. Perhaps you won’t be leaping five feet into the air or out-competing some young competitor, but the benefits for your mind and body actually increase over time. The only barrier between learning something when you’re 25 and 65 is the choice to do so.

It’s not too late to start over.

It can be painful to let go of all the investment that we’ve made in a particular path of learning. What if you discover that you’re wrong? Or that there’s a better way? You are more than what you already know and what you already have. The more trust you can put into your capacity to learn, change, and grow, the less the status quo will own you.

You are in a better place now than you were before.

I have wished I could start over on a myriad of occasions. I have thought about cutting my losses and just giving up more than I can count. Sometimes it seems that it would all be better if I could only go back to the beginning—a clean slate. Then I look at it from another perspective: If someone offered me all of the knowledge and experience I have now, as a starting point, I’d think it was a great deal. The thing I don’t need right now is the baggage and the judgment.
Now is your only starting point. As scarce as it can sometimes seem, time is the one resource we can truly count on. Take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments.
Devon

Subscribe for Training Articles, Lessons and Videos

Yes, they're free! Enter your name and email address to receive our emails packed full of great martial arts training articles, video lessons, drills, practice advice, new offerings, and much more.

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Related Articles

Restarting from Zero

There is a way that walking a familiar path can be pleasing—like returning home. There is an internal journey that is always advancing, and following a road you know well on the outside can free up your mind to go further on the inside. When I struggle my way through those first push-ups, or the humbling experience of having my butt handed to me in a fencing match, a part of me says: “Hello, old friend. I’m looking forward to walking this road again.”

Responses