Ignore the critics and forge your own path

Don't let anyone say that you can't

Following on from last week's blog which focused on how to be less judgemental, I'm going to have a little rant this week as it's still very much along those lines.

Apologies in advance as I am going to focus on one specific area but I'm pretty certain we will all have experienced some kind of prejudice during our lives.

For some unknown reason, it's become perfectly acceptable in the western world to write people off when they reach a certain age and, in particular I'm sorry to say, this mainly applies to women.  Women become 'veterans' at age 35 in running categories and are also classed as 'geriatric mothers' when having a baby at this age.  How insulting!

So it's very easy to understand why we develop a complex about age and find ourselves saying "No I can't do that, I'm too old".  It makes my blood boil.  Who exactly are these mysterious people that suddenly decide we're too old to do something.  The Japanese culture, for example, is one that values and respects older people yet we are have a culture of putting older people onto the scrap heap and hiding them away.

I was inspired to write about this subject following my boot camp yesterday.  The majority of my fitness clients are over 40 with many of them in their 50's and 60's yet they have the fun and fitness of someone in their 20's.  What I love most about them is that they've torn up the so-called rule book in relation to ... well, pretty much anything to be honest.  They compete in running and other sports, they have their own businesses, they study for masters degrees, they've overcome illness and injuries, they're all round amazing people who are determined to forge their own path and become even better as they get older.

It's not an easy thing to do to forge your own path, other people seem hell bent on throwing obstacles and barriers in your way, so it takes guts and courage to keep smashing through them.  It's not easy at any age but it's particularly hard as you get older when you feel you have to constantly prove yourself.

So how exactly do your forge your own path?  Well, first of all you have to stop listening to other people.  Not from a point of taking onboard well meaning advice from people who's opinion we value and trust, I mean from a point of unconstructive criticism that serves no purpose such as "you can't do that, you're too old". 

Does it feel right to you?  If so, then don't get hung up on what other people think.  It's your life, your mind, your body.

Why do you want to do that thing?  Is it for you?  Don't do things to please other people.  There are plenty of occasions when we have to compromise and that's part of life and relationships, but if you have a burning ambition to something then it should be for you or you'll never be truly happy if you're only trying to please someone else.

Don't be a sheep.  In order to forge your own path, you have to move away from the 'flock'.  People will respect you more and, more importantly, you'll respect yourself if you're willing to stand tall and say "no, I don't want to do that, I'm going to do this".  I'm a sucker for those feel good stories about people who have defied all odds to follow their dreams!!

So what are you waiting for, get out there and forge your own path ...

#2020