Time to lay those naysayers to rest and escape those communists (not literally!) who oppress. It’s never too late to be who you want to be, who you set yourself out to become. Dreams are reality, if only you can see. You may feel like you are stuck in an age of despair, with no doors ahead of you to go at dead end. But know that you are in a safe place, because it’s never too late. Foremost, please, please constantly remember this :
AGE IS JUST A FUCKING NUMBER the admins gotta register for the government in any nation to keep tabs. To monitor, maintain and audit the order of life time among us homo sapiens. It’s not who you are, or the defined limits you can do. Of course, to a certain point as you get older into age, your skin will sag and your bodies will fail you. You cannot reach for that can of sardines right on top of that odd cupboard corner with the same known agility. You cannot even climb stairs and mountains steadily like before. We understand that. The cat observes that. Everyone knows about the irreversible biological clock ticking away. Would it define your dreams? NOPE. Fact, you still can dream, and it’s not too late to attain that dream, if only you just believe you can do it.
“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” ….Pope John XXIII
In the owl wink of an eye, I am 33 years old. Ambitious, hardworking folks at this age would have already found highly paid executive jobs while launching into managerial positions and leading key projects, positioning forces driving stable industry careers. Along with 3 awesome kids perhaps, the oldest a 10 year old raving BTS, the youngest a fun toddler role-playing nurse. And an understanding husband doubling up as mom. In a beautifully designed modern apartment with curated furniture pieces, pet corgis, peaches and cream.
Yet now, I, the single unmarried lady of the hunger games universe venture into becoming a nobody writer blindfully attempting to carve a niche out of becoming an actual writer, that is. It is crazy, how this dream journey has begun for me, facing 3000 rejections (I love you 3000!) from some friends, family, companies, recruiters, job ads, hoards overarch perceiving I went kabonkers to step out as middle-age writer; simply because somehow it infrequently crossed their minds that I EVER could competently write. Why, why would they think that way? I often pondered thoroughly hard.
One thing I knew poignant enough, I’ve lacked concrete professional experiences in writing and my dream had to build on this. So I sucked it up, wallowed in misery for a few days, depressed over job ads and anything related to this dream of becoming a writer meanwhile. I found myself weeping whenever I typed out interesting poetry and stories on my laptop, terribly worried if my material would get out someday and if ever a person would enjoy reading my text. Blimey, I loved writing so much that even in my misery I just had to continue writing.
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.” ….Neil Gaiman
Generally, it wasn’t hard to imagine where most people were coming from what they advised me, but at times they and those barriers society accentuate traps you into thinking like society and everyone else does. Some rules and requisites were by far the subject matter enforced to maintain appropriate status quo. So then the norms to assimilate by these rules grow ingrained and internalised, and people followed them. And oh, the one million writing internships that I fervently applied? They were all nada and gone with the wind. THEN, I knew for sure. No one sane would ever hire an intern in their 30s. No one. Well, with the sole exception of that expectation wherein I should have already been an intern in my early 20s and normatively now the emplacement of a 30s experienced writer. Them gremlins never dabbled the idea of employing a 30s intern - it would be embarrassing and it would defeat the purpose of grooming obvious talented youths far more worthy of that internship if their potential eclipses 30s middle age relics.
In a tight labor market of specialty stalls in Singapore, no one preferably thinks that a 30s could be a novice writer doing social media optimisation, quick flex push-button feeds, second-hand blogging, or any decent updated to the masses Kardashian column on social accounts. Because, in social media, a 30s woman is a senior akin to an old, withering lady gut-leaking boredom. See, this is an excuse to cordon off wise sages bearing the fruitiest of all fruits as maturity develops across the continuum of cognitive nurturance. The 30s is a fucking cool aunt who delivers the best hippiest intelligence man has ever known.
HEY, if dreams tend to privilege the young and snub others who could be young at heart, the world would be such a sad, sordid place. Many opportunities would be limited to a select elitist few, and meritocracy would be an impenetrable firewall. Some grizzled, talented outliers would have to hang themselves on the noose because people didn’t care or believed in them. And we won’t have interesting stories to share and spread about that mature jaw-dropping maverick. There would be lesser Susan Boyles, Harry Bernsteins, Vera Wangs, Julia Childs and other late bloomers delighting us with spectacular works of art, science and substance. Refinement comes with age, and sometimes going about a maze for years before even hoping to land that dream does more wonders than having it all at 21. If any of it matters, I implore all you dear electrified netizens to go pursue your dreams, aptly do that dream(s), because it’s never too late to be who or what you wanted to be.
How To effect your dream (SINCE It’S NEVER TOO Late.)
One known key to the fulfilment of any dream (or dreams) you got to importantly bear in mind and commit dedicatedly to action is that : Persistence trumps all gifts and talents. In case you misunderstood, persistence does not mean you have to work 16 hours a day without leave days and ample rest only to give up later because you died overworked. Persistence means showing up every single day to work a little closer to your dream no matter what it takes when shit flies by bazookas, doing the same thing that you did every time, reworking some over again and not throwing in the towel.
It is sheer determination of any sorts, the propelling unconditional persevering and perseverance your parents would go to great lengths in order to protect you at all costs and satisfy your hunger when you really need to feed. Despite all of their weariness from babysitting and panic at the disco, your parents don’t abandon you in the lurch. In fact, most days, they endeavoured a smile at your foolishness to wrap thy heart warm because their love for you is ultimate. Persistence is great effort that consistently advances effort, a kind of stubbornness that never gives, a smorgasbord of pent-up insatiable feelings trudging on for the dream.
Besides, talented individuals would not be too persistent for they are conceited with their preoccupied talents requiring less effort to succeed, so they believed. BUT, you don’t have to be talented to win, you only need to keep your foot on the accelerator long enough so you don’t ever fall behind others. Exactly, like what late US President Calvin Coolidge serving in the 1920s, the “Roaring Twenties” told. Or Angela Duckworth in her cogent book of “Grit.. ”. Being the cool underdog: If gifted men and women tire out somehow and walk away disinterested but you don’t and continue toiling, then surely you are in this way more extraordinary than people could judge otherwise.
persistence, Coolidge.
The 30th US President, late Calvin Coolidge responsible for the roaring twenties and American affluence advocates persistence!
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
- Calvin Coolidge (As omnipotent pictured above at his sworn-in.)
“Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.” …
“...there are no shortcuts to excellence. Developing real expertise, figuring out really hard problems, it all takes time―longer than most people imagine....you've got to apply those skills and produce goods or services that are valuable to people....Grit is about working on something you care about so much that you're willing to stay loyal to it...it's doing what you love, but not just falling in love―staying in love.” …
“Staying on the treadmill is one thing, and I do think it’s related to staying true to our commitments even when we’re not comfortable. But getting back on the treadmill the next day, eager to try again, is in my view even more reflective of grit. Because when you don’t come back the next day—when you permanently turn your back on a commitment—your effort plummets to zero. As a consequence, your skills stop improving, and at the same time, you stop producing anything with whatever skills you have.” …
“Yes, but the main thing is that greatness is doable. Greatness is many, many individual feats, and each of them is doable.” …
“Without effort, your talent is nothing more than unmet potential. Without effort, your skill is nothing more than what you could have done but didn't.”
― Angela Duckworth, Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success (The Guru of Tenacious Effort and Self-Improvement)
Another element crucial to the realisation of your dream is that : You have to be a Philosopher. Not like Aristotle or a Paladin per se, but in a modern sensibility - you get what I mean. The only way to be conscious, to understand and carry out the true values critical to the fortune of any winner dreaming up success is to be a Philosopher, thinking and overthinking the shit shat out of most things.
This complexity of thinking in its entirety conjures an ideology that will allow you to win past obstacles, even war if necessary. If Sun Tzu fashioned the “Art of War” tasked as military strategist, it also means he had so damn well philosophised around what will happen to generals and soldiers on the fronts braving the rain and raking blood-stained shields to take out enemy targets. You could imagine simulations in his head leading to strategic resolutions and an ideal vision of victory. Thereafter he would execute counter-measures to minimise battle distress and fatalities.
In particular, the philosopher holds the power of thought clarity and abstract awareness towards true objectives. The philosopher will then craft meticulous chapters sequential on the route to champion a dream ending. Bonus, philosophising also inspires and motivates you to keep going when life gets tough. No kidding, when you tread into becoming a “think-tank”, you actually grow wiser and ethical because knowledge touches you in amazing ways.
And, the corresponding wisdom guides any to live life aligned to profound principles and cultivated traits such as resilience, respect, generosity and minimalism maybe (lol). You will love this wisdom because it not only enriches your mind, it centers your dream vision and encourages you to be a genuinely good person (unless you don’t want to..OMG). Reaping the benefits, you will consistently pursue this wisdom and be addict to philosophising like baited fish and fishermen hooked to bait. In any case, the accumulation of vital information over firm philosophy cements definite plans to gravitate your dream nearer towards reality.
Philosophize, thoreau.
Brilliant transcendentalist philosopher, poet, and essayist. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s BFF and roommate. Thoreau believed we should look inwards and our natural milieu for life’s answers.
To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school, but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity and trust.
- Henry David Thoreau (Bearded, cool, witty Man of Philosophy.)
“the unexamined life is not worth living,”
- Socrates (Classic and always relevant)
“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”
- Dr. Seuss (The Thinking Cap)
“A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window.”
- Gilles Deleuze (On Capitalism and Schizophrenia)
“Science is what you know. Philosophy is what you don't know”
- Bertrand Russell (I guess he knows.)
Of course, if you are already paving your move and plotting that graph towards that dream, you might not want to forget that along the way : Failure is always welcome and is your chewing gum. Seriously. Mistakes will show and even when you are so ready, accidental screw-ups will slip through the cracks. Life gives you lemons, and sometimes you don’t even get to juice a drop of lemonade. Will you curl up in foetal, cry out loud and forgo whatever dream you wanted just so failure happens?
When I was younger, I used to cower at surprises which comprise of failure events. Loathed how stuff didn’t go my way turning out bad than I had anticipated. Felt those failures hung me out to dry. Failures were severe injuries. However, as I’ve found, even in failure you will have that momentum to succeed if your positive attitude and strength is the infinite burning bush, never doused or extinguished but decisively set on goals. AND. The innate desperation to achieve dream goals hastens so exceedingly that you have no time and energy to be upset over spilled milk since understanding the mechanics of failure to overcome poor outcomes takes precedence over anything else. Many fear failure, paralyzed as though it will consume them like the darkness did and would strive to prevent that from happening at all costs, so risk-taking is not quite an option and experimenting is an abomination.
Honestly with that many rejected writer application notices I’ve had ballooning the obesity of my e-mail, to date the amount of perceived failure from these would surmount to atomic Godzilla blasts potent to flatten the city. Nevertheless, those “We regret to inform you…. you are not” responses did not the least pummel me out. I wouldn’t be in my pyjamas having the monty breakfast and dancing to Bruno Mars today if it did. Chew on the failure like gum; don’t swallow it, but munch and munch to tune, whet your appetite for better food to come. Note to self - Failure is always, always gunning you for success. Paulo Coelho purposefully slithers in rat-like into the soul’s crevices the need for relentless courage in the face of disappointments when one seeks to achieve dreams. This optimism is pungently scattered all over his finessed poetic prose you don’t even have to scour his directive.
Fearless at failures, Coelho.
Brazilian novelist. Iconic, earth-shattering, heartwarming messages in full fiction works. I would totally be his apprentice for free if he does not mind my suffocating presence.
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” …
“Don't give in to your fears. If you do, you won't be able to talk to your heart.” …
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” …
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist (The only book you ever need when lost.)
“Everything tells me that I am about to make a wrong decision, but making mistakes is just part of life. What does the world want of me? Does it want me to take no risks, to go back to where I came from because I didn't have the courage to say "yes" to life?”
- Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes (Mind-blowing and life-changing.)
Be back for more.