Are You a Late Bloomer?
It’s never too late to be what you might have been. — George Eliot
Great talents ripen late. — Lao Tsu
Late Bloomer – some will recoil at the term, others will nod their heads in recognition. And others may say “If only I were… I’m still waiting to bloom.” As a late bloomer myself, I have known the frustration of unfulfilled potential, of something inside that needs expression. And I have a special message for late bloomers everywhere: It’s never too late to bloom!
Who is a late bloomer?
What age must you be to qualify as a late bloomer? I have a simple definition: A late bloomer is anyone who feels—especially by midlife—that they still have not fully bloomed or expressed what is in them, done what they are here to do, what they can imagine doing—and it hurts!
- You may have bloomed early in youth, and then decided to “grow up” and become a responsible citizen. And now that passion you put aside is demanding a come-back.
- You could be a “Rainbow person” of many gifts and interests who has never followed one thread and lived it fully. Or who has yet to create your own unique synthesis and offered it to the world.
- You may have raised a family, earned a living, put others first, and now you’re wondering “What about me?” Many women are late bloomers for this reason.
- You may have spent twenty or thirty years in corporate America and now you’re ready to retire and do your own thing. Or ready to quit your “job” and find your “vocation.”
- You could be someone who for any number of reasons—psychological blocks, habits, circumstances—has not yet brought forth what is within you. And maybe you’re afraid that it’s too late.
Why It’s Never Too Late
I am here to assure you that it’s never too late! Forget the conventional timetables of society. Every individual has his or her unique rhythms and cycles of life.
It doesn’t matter why you didn’t do it before. The ripeness of time and the pressure to express combine in perfect timing – the time of now!
The Gift of Urgency
If you are feeling the urgency of years passing and there’s something you still want to do, you are at the peak of a wonderful opportunity. Urgency combined with clarity propels us into action. It is the lack of urgency that allows us to procrastinate our dearest dreams—because they have no deadlines.
When life itself creates a sense of urgency, it wakes us up and we can take actions we couldn’t take before—especially if we have help and support. Even if you’re not sure what it is you want, the moment is still ripe to move towards self-discovery, clarity, commitment, and action.
Re-Bloomers and Perpetual Bloomers
Some of us are not true Late Bloomers, but rather Re-Bloomers. We have already bloomed in our life but now we want to re-invent ourselves, plant new seeds, cultivate an entirely different flower. (Think of Al Gore, whose White House career was just a prelude to something greater. Or Beverly Sills who went from opera diva to company director.)
And some may be Perpetual Bloomers who don’t know the word “retire” and are still productive into later and later life—still blooming after all these years. (Think of Tony Bennett and Barbara Cook singing beautifully past 80. Or Stanley Kunitz, poet laureate, who wrote poems—and gardened—at age 100!) If you are in these categories, you prove the same message: It’s never too late to bloom!
Blooming Boomers
Midlife now belongs to the Baby Boomers, a generation of dreamers who want it all and believe we deserve it, who continue to redefine every decade we enter. According to the Wall Street Journal, someone in the U.S. turns fifty every eight seconds. And boomers are expected to live at least another thirty years past that. There’s room for a whole second act, or even a third. If any group will bloom, re-bloom and continue to bloom, it is the Blooming Boomers!
So join me in the adventure of blooming, and on my Blooming Blog . . . This is your time to bloom!
Check out my Coaching Programs . They are designed to help you bloom now!
