After delivering my Rousing the Remarkable keynote recently, a gaggle of fans swarmed the stage, eager to share with me their remarkable stories.
One woman in particular gave me pause. After thanking me profusely for the inspiring and aspiring message and for a copy of my book, she added, “This is just what my daughter in college needs!”
I promptly asked, “But what about you?”
Without hesitation she replied flatly, “I’m too old,” and then left.
A stark reminder that we sometimes fall into ruts, believing it’s too late. The only hope for remarkable now resting with our children…
But the reality is there is no expiration date on being remarkable! We are never too old to be courageous, to change, to be uncomfortable, to stand up for others, to make a difference, and to try new things. at work and in life.
These people didn’t think they were too old to be remarkable:
- Colonel Sanders launched Kentucky Fried Chicken (after a dozen failed careers) at 65
- Julia Child wrote her first cookbook at 39 and made her television debut at 51
- Vera Wang designed her first wedding dress at 40
- Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote Little House on the Prairie at 65
- Samuel L. Jackson landed his role in Pulp Fiction (while recovering from drug addiction) at 46
- Grandma Moses started painting at 76
- Cliff Young won his first ultramarathon at 61
- Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart at 44
- Ronald Reagan changed careers from actor to politician at 56
- My mom got remarried (with a bachelorette party!) at 70
- My grandpa graduated college at 65 and cycled a century at 70
Being remarkable is not dependent on age; it’s dependent on taking a chance in spite of our age and circumstances.