I remember walking into work one morning about fifteen years ago and talking with a friend and colleague. Our work was stressful, the management unstable and my friend shared with me that this just was not the kind of work she wanted to be doing. Filled with curiosity I asked her what kind of work she hoped to do. What type of career could she imagine herself doing in the future. What was her “dream” job? Well, she replied, I always wanted to be a veterinarian. She went on to tell me about her love for animals, her passion for science and why she thought she would be well suited for a career as a vet. Sensing her excitement and the way her eyes lit up when she talked about working with animals, I asked if she might consider making a change. She had been working in an acute care hospital as an educator for several years and in all honesty, was a frequent complainer. Her attitude was negative most of the time, and when it came to work her moral was low. In fact, she was hard to work with. Not a team player, and not engaged in the work we were trying hard to do for our patients.
Would you consider becoming a veterinarian, taking the steps to make it actually happen, I asked her. She was so passionate, well informed about the work and the lifestyle I thought the choice seemed obvious…. but her response was surprising. No. But why, I wondered in light of everything she had told me. In Farrah’s mind there was no option: I would be 50 when graduated, she told me. I would be too old. But you will be 50 anyway, I countered. Regardless of what kind of work you do, or how you decide to spend your time, you will be 50 one day. Why not be 50 and be doing work you love?
What do you think? Is it ever too late to do something you want to do with every fiber of your being? To take a journey you are passionate about or take on a hobby you have only researched and thought about for years? While it takes bravery, honesty and a good amount of confidence to do the things we know in our hearts are meaningful to us it isn’t easy. It isn’t easy to start something new. To take the steps toward fulfilling a dream. But what is the alternative? Feelings of regret or disappointment perhaps. Are you willing to set the intention to do what lights you up and fills your heart? What would you have to believe to take that first step? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear!
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