It’s never too late to try something new

Meet Patricia. She’s lived a rich life which included a successful career working in French new wave cinema. After retirement, she moved to the rustic mountain town of Chamonix to ski, play tennis, and relax. Then, at age 70, she wanted something more. She wanted to swim.

Now, Patrica was a pack-a-day smoker who’d never swum before. But she was determined. Unable to find a local instructor, she watched tutorials on YouTube. Each night she would pace her apartment practicing strokes. Each morning, she would head to the pool to test her progress.

All that training paid off. After a year, Patricia took a trip to the Greek islands and did something she never thought possible. She swam a kilometer in the crisp waters of the Mediterranean.

Patricia’s approach to life is all about continually learning. Even at her age, she regularly challenges herself to try whatever interest strikes her fancy. After taking up swimming, she moved on to two new pursuits: playing pickleball and studying astronomy.

Patricia’s attitude can serve as a very powerful lesson. As we age, it’s important to remain a beginner at something.

Another example is David. Growing up, he had many interests. In college, he studied philosophy, architecture, and economics. Afterward, he indulged his love of nature and dabbled in being a park ranger. Finally, as an adult, he took an apprenticeship as a jewelry maker. For three years, he spent hours mastering the traditional crafting techniques and eventually became an expert.

However, even as a certified expert at handcrafting jewelry, he didn’t just coast on his success. The world of making had gone digital, so David jumped right in. He learned the art of computer-aided design and began to use complex drafting software like Rhino. These digital skills, combined with his aptitude for manual work, opened up a whole new field of creativity. Now he’s able to create things he couldn’t have even imagined in the past.

So, if you’re feeling in a rut, remember that there’s always something new to learn. Discover what opportunities exist near you. Check your local papers, go on Google, or simply ask your neighbor.

You may find yourself trying a cooking class, learning to weld, or discovering the joy of birdwatching. You never know what you’ll learn next. As the Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “It takes a whole life to learn how to live.”