Someone famously said, " it is never too late to be what you could have been. " I find it ironic that the person that said that is unknown. I wonder what that person became ? Whoever it was never got credit for that pearl of wisdom. In the larger picture it shouldn't make any difference. Does it matter where the inspiration came from ? I don't think so. It may make for an interesting tale but that is all.
The question really is, can we determine what we become ? The old, he was a legend in his own mind thing. If you believe it, that is your reality. So when that person said, it is never too late to be what you could have been, what is he, or she, saying ? Is it all a matter of believing in yourself without the requirement of validation ? Or is it the validation of others that make us what we become ? In short, are we what we perceive ourselves to be, or what others actually see ?
I think what we present to the world is our perception of who we are. We all modify that image, in varying degrees, to " fit in " the picture. It is the amount of ourselves that we keep hidden we call potential. Just like potential energy, it is at rest. Every once in a while it does come out in a burst of energy. Emotion is the fuel for that action. Some people just let that energy flow freely, others use various stimulants to release it, and still others keep it bottled up. As we age we tend to let more of that potential loose. We are less inhibited for a number of reasons. Least among them is an awareness of time. It is getting later ! But as whoever it was pointed out, it is never too late to be what you could have been. At least not in your in own mind is my thinking. Is it when you present yourself, completely and honestly to the world that you achieve greatness ? Is that the secret to success ?
What is success ? Is it financial independence ? Is it adoration from the masses ? Or is success nothing more than contentment ? That doesn't sound right though. To be content is to be lazy ! Isn't that what we think ? If we settle, it is a sign of resignation. We are taught to not settle for anything less than what we want. What do you want ? Success or contentment ? That is the struggle we all face in life. We do require a certain degree of success to be perceived as successful among our peers. For that reason we struggle to provide that proof to others. For some that struggle for proof consumes them and they find no contentment in life. Then there are those on the other end of the spectrum. They are content with the way things are for them. But society will not allow that. we insist they must need more. We begin to speak of quality of life. How do we define that ? What is a quality life ? Just who sets that standard ?
It seems to me we are told to work, to become a success. It starts when we are just children. We are told you have to work to earn money, to become successful. Money is success. It doesn't really matter how you get that money, as long as it is legal, you are successful. Everything else takes a back seat to the gaining of wealth. This is what is required for the health of the individual and for the health of the society. We all need to eat. That was the first job of man, to get food. Then there was the need for shelter. From there we have progressed to " needing " an I-phone ! You gotta work to get all that stuff. Got stuff ? You're a success. But what of quality ? Quality is a measurement of what ? Contentment ? Having all your needs met, enjoying your stuff and not wanting more. Is that the recipe for a quality life ? That is pretty much what we are taught. Then we get all that and discover it isn't true. We figure it is because we don't have enough stuff. We work some more trying to get that " quality of life " that is so elusive. But now the time is getting shorter, life is rushing at us. It is getting late. " It is never too late to become what you could have been " I have discovered it is never too late to find out what you can be, you have been that all along. It is just a matter of showing it to others. Will that make you a success ? Doesn't matter. It will bring a contentment to you, a quality of life that can't be purchased. I think maybe that is what John Lennon and Paul McCartney meant when they wrote, " Let it be. " It was released in 1970 and just now I'm thinking about it. Well forty seven years isn't that long a time. It really is never too late.
The question really is, can we determine what we become ? The old, he was a legend in his own mind thing. If you believe it, that is your reality. So when that person said, it is never too late to be what you could have been, what is he, or she, saying ? Is it all a matter of believing in yourself without the requirement of validation ? Or is it the validation of others that make us what we become ? In short, are we what we perceive ourselves to be, or what others actually see ?
I think what we present to the world is our perception of who we are. We all modify that image, in varying degrees, to " fit in " the picture. It is the amount of ourselves that we keep hidden we call potential. Just like potential energy, it is at rest. Every once in a while it does come out in a burst of energy. Emotion is the fuel for that action. Some people just let that energy flow freely, others use various stimulants to release it, and still others keep it bottled up. As we age we tend to let more of that potential loose. We are less inhibited for a number of reasons. Least among them is an awareness of time. It is getting later ! But as whoever it was pointed out, it is never too late to be what you could have been. At least not in your in own mind is my thinking. Is it when you present yourself, completely and honestly to the world that you achieve greatness ? Is that the secret to success ?
What is success ? Is it financial independence ? Is it adoration from the masses ? Or is success nothing more than contentment ? That doesn't sound right though. To be content is to be lazy ! Isn't that what we think ? If we settle, it is a sign of resignation. We are taught to not settle for anything less than what we want. What do you want ? Success or contentment ? That is the struggle we all face in life. We do require a certain degree of success to be perceived as successful among our peers. For that reason we struggle to provide that proof to others. For some that struggle for proof consumes them and they find no contentment in life. Then there are those on the other end of the spectrum. They are content with the way things are for them. But society will not allow that. we insist they must need more. We begin to speak of quality of life. How do we define that ? What is a quality life ? Just who sets that standard ?
It seems to me we are told to work, to become a success. It starts when we are just children. We are told you have to work to earn money, to become successful. Money is success. It doesn't really matter how you get that money, as long as it is legal, you are successful. Everything else takes a back seat to the gaining of wealth. This is what is required for the health of the individual and for the health of the society. We all need to eat. That was the first job of man, to get food. Then there was the need for shelter. From there we have progressed to " needing " an I-phone ! You gotta work to get all that stuff. Got stuff ? You're a success. But what of quality ? Quality is a measurement of what ? Contentment ? Having all your needs met, enjoying your stuff and not wanting more. Is that the recipe for a quality life ? That is pretty much what we are taught. Then we get all that and discover it isn't true. We figure it is because we don't have enough stuff. We work some more trying to get that " quality of life " that is so elusive. But now the time is getting shorter, life is rushing at us. It is getting late. " It is never too late to become what you could have been " I have discovered it is never too late to find out what you can be, you have been that all along. It is just a matter of showing it to others. Will that make you a success ? Doesn't matter. It will bring a contentment to you, a quality of life that can't be purchased. I think maybe that is what John Lennon and Paul McCartney meant when they wrote, " Let it be. " It was released in 1970 and just now I'm thinking about it. Well forty seven years isn't that long a time. It really is never too late.
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