Ask any woman who is over 40 if they have had to reinvent themselves and my guess is over half of them will say "yes." We leave our childhood homes and naively believe we will follow a certain path and eventually get to where we want to go. The longer we live the more we realize where we want to be at the age of 20 is not necessarily where we want to be at 30 or 40.
An ancient Greek Philosopher named Heraclitus once said that, "The only thing constant is change." Even if we wanted to freeze our lives at a certain moment in time, we can't. Sometimes changes are forced on us by circumstances beyond our control and other times we go searching for something that we believe will lead us to something better or at least different.
If we have the courage to try new things, the determination to stick with them and a firm belief in ourselves, there is nothing that can stop us. Amen?
The problem for some of us is that as we get older life beats us down and tells us (especially after we are 40) that we aren't pretty enough, smart enough, young enough to make changes in our lives. As we say in the south, that's just bull poop. Susan Sarandon said, "I look forward to being older, when what you look like becomes less and less an issue and what you are is the point." I agree with her, don't you? Make 2016 the year you put your big girl panties on and step over whatever kind of pile of bull poop is standing in your way.
I don't know what's holding you back from reinventing yourself, or even if something is holding you back, all I can do is share my story with you and tell you how one single event changed my life and helped me find the path I'm on now.
My Dream
I became a nana for the first time in 2005 and in 2008 I started blogging. I named my blog NanaHood because it was the second half of the motherhood journey. I worked hard at making NanaHood grow and it did, a little. I knew if I wanted to take it to the next level I needed help. I wanted to go to a writing conference but I wasn't a mommy blogger and most of the conferences were geared towards younger women. I dreamed of a conference where women writers and bloggers my age came together and shared knowledge, ideas and dreams.
When I Stepped Over The Pile In Front of Me
A few years ago I made myself go to a conference. I sent in my money January 1st as part of my New Year's Resolutions and made plans to go. I drove by myself. Stayed at a hotel by myself and attended every session. I came home knowing I should have gone long before I did and vowing to help create a conference for women my age.
Through a combination of good luck and persistence I connected with some other women who shared my vision and last year we hosted the first ever BAM Conference (Bloggers at Midlife). It was a tremendous amount of work and there were moments of doubt and worry but we didn't give up. The conference was in Nashville this past March and even an unexpected snow storm couldn't keep us down. The conference not only inspired me to be a better writer and improve my blog professionally, I came home encouraged by other women my age who are facing many of the same challenges as I am.
Never-Never Land
If you are unhappy with what you are or where you are, you don't have to stay there. If you have always dreamed of going to college, go! If you have always wanted to take a cruise but talked yourself out of it, make a deposit that's non-refundable. If you are a writer or blogger, come to BAM or find another conference to go to. Find other women your age who will inspire you with what they have accomplished so far on their journeys and with their dreams of what the future holds.
You see, just like we are never to old to reinvent ourselves or make a difference, we are never, never too old to dream.
For more information about BAM -- http://bloggersatmidlife.com/
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