Are You Really Too Old For This S#!t?

Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

At this point in my life, I’m almost thirty.

Some people consider this young and others consider it old.

When thinking about this, I tend to notice a direct correlation between the times when I feel young and the times when I feel old.

Times where I feel young:

• Playing beer pong with friends
• Hanging out with friends from college
• Dancing at a bar until 3am
• Talking to young, successful people

Times where I feel old:

• Playing beer pong with friends
• Hanging out with friends from college
• Dancing at a bar until 3am
• Talking to young, successful people

Notice anything unusual?

Maybe I’m a little slower than most, but it took me just about 29 years to realize something most adults probably know:

Your age doesn’t define you.

At any given moment, how old you feel depends entirely on your perspective.

I know. This isn’t anything revolutionary, but it does deserve reiteration.

After all, it’s hard not to feel this way. It doesn’t help that society stresses the importance of success at an early age.

Don’t believe me? All you have to do is check the most recent list of Forbes 30 Under 30. It’s easy to become jaded after seeing the accomplishments of these twentysomethings from all over the world.

When the bar is set so incredibly high, it’s easy to forget that we are all different people with different wants, needs, and motivations. We each have our own path to discover and it unfolds at different moments in life.

Still don’t believe me?

Here are perfect examples of people finding success in their own time:

• Charles Darwin — The “father of evolution” didn’t hit his stride until 1859, when at the age of 50, he published his book, “On The Origin of Species” which changed the scientific community forever.
• Ray Kroc — This milkshake-device salesman didn’t buy McDonald’s until he was 52 in 1954. Only after did he grow it into the world’s largest fast food franchise.
• Vera Wang — Vera Wang didn’t enter the fashion industry on her own until she was 40, after working at Vogue magazine and Ralph Lauren. She is now one of the world’s premier fashion designers.
• Samuel L. Jackson — This household name didn’t make it big in Hollywood until he landed an award-winning role in Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever” at the age of 43.
• Robin Chase — Robin Chase co-founded the car-sharing company Zipcar in 2000 at the age of 42. After leaving Zipcar in 2011, she co-founded several other transportation-based companies and now serves on the World Economic Forum.

As you can see, even people we consider to be massive successes took their time to follow their own path. They undoubtedly went through countless struggles on their way to creating their own success and are better off because of it.

Next time you feel lost after comparing yourself to others, remember:

It takes time to identify and pursue your own success. Use that time to discover what works best for you and prepare for the future.

Are you worried about success at your age? Have you tried changing your perspective? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter at @williamfrazr.

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