At 38 years old, this man decided to ignore his doubt and made his dream his reality. He says it’s never too late.
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Are you living with regrets? Are you ignoring your passion? Did you have a dream when you were younger but never pursued it? Maybe someone said to follow your passion was not a reasonable path to take because you couldn’t make a living doing what you are passionate about. It’s never too late to pursue your passion, stop listening to the naysayers and live your dream.
I often wondered what would it be like to be a teacher.
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When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a teacher. I thought this was what I was put on this earth to do. I enjoyed teaching others even at an early age. As a teenager, I used to take the younger kids in my neighborhood under my wing and teach them how to play sports. But, for several reasons, I didn’t follow that path right away.
When I would go to my daughter’s open house at school, I often wondered what would it be like to be a teacher. From the age of 17-38, I had seven different full-time jobs and 22 part-time jobs. These jobs had nothing to do with my passion; I just worked to pay the bills.
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At the age of 38, I had a life changing experience that changed the course of my life. The day after my experience I told my brother what happened. He said something to me that changed my future. He said, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life, what are you going to do with it?”
I told him that I always wanted to be a teacher and a week later I decided to go back to school and pursue a teaching career. Was going back to school hard at 38 years old? It sure was. Was it worth it? Absolutely! I was going through a divorce at the time, and I was operating my house painting business.
I had to depend on my business loans, and grants to support myself while I went to school for 4 ½ years. Did I ever think of giving up on finishing school and pursuing my dream? Never, not one day. I was sure I was doing what I was meant to do.
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If you pursue your passion, you will not be sorry.
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I had taught school for 14 years before I retired. I taught 3rd-12th grade and adult education. I never dreaded Monday mornings like I did when I had those other jobs. This was not a job it was my career that fulfilled my passion.
Teachers, as well as students, start looking forward to summer break sometime in the spring. As a teacher, you need the summer to rest and recharge mentally. But by August, I was ready to start a new year. What a difference it makes when you are living your passion and dream.
Just a word of encouragement… It’s not too late to make a change. If you pursue your passion, you will not be sorry, and it will be one regret you will not have to live with. Remember, today is the first day of the rest of your life, what are you going to do with it?
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Photo: Flickr/ Tulane Publications