"I'm too old to learn how to.... learn to paint/ go back to school/ start a new career." 

OMG! How many times have I heard someone say this one little sentence? Too many.  

Telling yourself the story that you're too old for anything is just telling yourself a lie.

These stories limit you and put boundaries on what you believe you can do. They also prevent you from pursuing your passions and rob you of the joy that comes from doing something you love. These stories are not truths, they're beliefs! I'll go one step further and say they're just excuses! 

So why would you make an excuse NOT to do the thing you are passionate about? Because you want to avoid the fear and insecurity that come from being a beginner.  That's it. 

The Truth is, you can learn and become really good at something at almost any age. 

Grandma Moses didn't even start painting until she was 78! When she was 88, Mademoiselle Magazine named her Young Woman of The Year.  Her 100th birthday was proclaimed as Grandma Moses Day by the governor of New York. She had a vibrant career in her later years and not once did she tell herself, "I'm too old to paint." And thank goodness she didn't. She would have deprived the world of her special gift.

Grandma Moses isn't a lone wolf, there are many people that start pursuing their passions late in life, including Erma Bombeck, Julia Child, Lee Child, Toni Morrison, and Laura Ingalls Wilder to name a few. 

So what can you do?

• Recognize that this is just a belief, it's not a truth. 
• Create an alternate belief. For example, I'm not too old to learn to paint because I still have the rest of my life ahead of me. Think about what's possible, hint: anything is possible for you. 
• Realize that the insecurity and struggle of being a beginner at something pass quickly and everyone goes through the same phase. 

So stop using your age as an excuse not to pursue your passion for art. You deserve the joy of pursuing your passion for art and the world needs your special talent. 

My favorite quote from Julie Cameron (The Artist's Way) " Do you know how old I'll be by the time I learn to play the piano/ act/ paint/ write a decent play?" Yes, the same age you will be if you don't.

Time will pass whether you pursue your passions or not. What will you do with your time?