essay it is never too late

Quote Investigator®

Tracing Quotations

It’s Never Too Late To Be What You Might Have Been

George Eliot? Adelaide Anne Procter? Apocryphal? Anonymous?

Dear Quote Investigator: My favorite quotation about untapped potential and enduring spirit is attributed to the prominent Victorian novelist George Eliot:

It is never too late to be what you might have been.

This popular saying has been printed on refrigerator magnets, posters, shirts, and key chains. But I have never seen the source specified. Are these really the words of George Eliot?

Quote Investigator: George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans who died in 1880. Researchers have been unable to locate this quotation in her books or letters. Currently, the ascription to Eliot has no substantive support.

The earliest evidence of an exact match known to QI appeared in “Literary News: A Monthly Journal of Current Literature” in 1881. The editor held a contest to gather the best quotations from Eliot’s oeuvre. The following was the announcement printed in the April 1881 issue: [1] 1881 April, Literary News Prize Question No. 31: Subject: Gems from George Eliot, Quote Page 113, Publisher and Editor: F. Leypoldt, New York. (Google Books Full View) link

Prize Question No 31. Subject: Gems from George Eliot. Quote the most striking passage known to you from George Eliot’s writings; not to exceed thirty words. Answers due May 20.

In June 1881 the excerpts submitted by readers were printed in the periodical; however, they were not fully vetted for accuracy. Also, some entries did not specify the originating text. For example, these four items were included in the list. Boldface has been added to excerpts: [2] 1881 June, Literary News Prize Question No. 31: Subject: Gems from George Eliot, (Quote Number 23), Start Page 176, Quote Page 177, Publisher and Editor: F. Leypoldt, New York. (Google Books Full … Continue reading

We present herewith the selections made by our readers from the writings of George Eliot. Excluding all that exceed the prescribed limit of thirty words, we present herewith seventy-one selections. … 21. “Our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds.”—Adam Bede 22. “A woman’s choice generally means taking the only man she can get.” —Middlemarch. 23. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” 24. “I’m not denyin’ the women are foolish; God Almighty made ’em to match the men.”

Statement 21 was correct though truncated. Statement 22 was slightly inaccurate; the novel used the word “usually” instead of “generally”. Statement 23 has never been found in the works of Eliot. Statement 24 did not list a source, but it did appear in “Adam Bede”.

This important citation with the incorrect attribution of the target quotation was identified by Professor Leah Price. After 1881 quotation number 23 started to appear in a variety of publications credited to George Eliot, and “Literary News” may have been the prime locus for its dissemination.

A very interesting partial match for the saying appeared earlier in a poem in 1859. Details are given further below.

Here are additional selected citations in chronological order.

A thematic precursor was included in a lecture published in London in 1847. The following passage highlighted the possibility of growth and accomplishment late in life: [3] 1847, Sequel to Lectures Delivered at Literary and Mechanics’ Institutions by William Henry Leatham, “Lecture 1: The Rise, Growth, Maturity, and Prospects of English Literature, &c, … Continue reading

It is never too late to become a scholar, or a great man. Cato, the censor, learnt Greek in his old age. King Alfred was twelve years old before he could repeat his alphabet. Cromwell was forty-two years of age before he fought his first battle—and Blake was fifty before he entered the navy.

In 1859 the poet Adelaide Anne Procter released “The Ghost in the Picture Room” in the special Christmas issue of the London periodical “All the Year Round” which was edited by Charles Dickens. QI believes that the following couplet embodied a strong conceptual match for the quotation under investigation and a partial syntactic match:

No star is ever lost we once have seen, We always may be what we might have been.

The larger context within the work discussed the possibility of leading a “noble life”. The vicissitudes of subsisting might deflect one from pursuing an ideal path, but the author contended that crucial alternatives were not foreclosed, and one might still pursue a “noble life” at any time. The poem became better known under the title “A Legend of Provence”: [4] 1859 December 13, All the Year Round: A Weekly Journal, Conducted by Charles Dickens, (The Haunted House: The Extra Christmas Number of All the Year Round. Containing the amount of two ordinary … Continue reading [5] 1864, The Poems of Adelaide A. Procter by Adelaide Anne Procter, Poem: A Legend of Provence, Start Page 181, Quote Page 191, Ticknor and Fields, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full View) link

Have we not all, amid life’s petty strife, Some pure ideal of a noble life That once seemed possible? Did we not hear The flutter of its wings, and feel it near, And just within our reach? It was. And yet We lost it in this daily jar and fret, And now live idle in a vague regret; But still our place is kept, and it will wait, Ready for us to fill it, soon or late. No star is ever lost we once have seen, We always may be what we might have been. Since good, tho’ only thought, has life and breath, God’s life—can always be redeemed from death; And evil, in its nature, is decay, And any hour can blot it all away; The hopes that, lost, in some far distance seem. May be the truer life, and this the dream.

Procter’s couplet was memorable, and it has continued to circulate up to the present day. In 1879 “Replies: A Weekly Journal of Question and Answer” printed the words within a response to a query about the second line: [6] 1879 December 20, Replies: A Weekly Journal of Question and Answer, Conducted by Malcolm C. Salaman, Volume 2, Number 38, Answers to Correspondents, Quote Page 189, Column 1, Published by The … Continue reading

Devorgill.—The line, ‘We always may be what we might have been,’ occurs in a passage in the ‘Legend of Provence,’ by Adelaide Anne Procter— ‘No star is ever lost we once have seen, We always may be what we might have been.’

In 1881 the quotation being traced was printed in “Literary News” as noted previously. The expression was submitted by a reader of the periodical and no source was designated:

In 1884 the saying was included in an article about Eliot published in the “Illinois School Journal’. The phrase appeared in a section called “Extracts” that listed twenty quotes attributed to Eliot. [7] 1884 February, Illinois School Journal, General Exercises by Edward Bangs, (Discussion of George Eliot: 1820-1880), Start Page 250, Quote Page 250, Normal, Illinois. (Google Books Full View) link

In 1887 “The English Language: Its Grammar, History and Literature” was published, and a section about George Eliot’s prose style praised her work exuberantly: [8] 1887, The English Language: Its Grammar, History and Literature by J. M. D. Meiklejohn (John Miller Dow Meiklejohn), Quote Page 365, D.C. Heath & Company, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books … Continue reading

Her power is sometimes almost Shakespearian. Like Shakespeare, she gives us a large number of wise sayings, expressed in the pithiest language. The following are a few:— “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” “It is easy finding reasons why other people should be patient.” “Genius, at first, is little more than a great capacity for receiving discipline.”

The maxim was not universally embraced. In 1896 a book titled “The Education of the Central Nervous System” was sharply critical because the author contended that training in the early years of life was essential: [9] 1896, The Education of the Central Nervous System: A Study of Foundations, Especially of Sensory and Motor Training by Reuben Post Halleck, Quote Page 94, Macmillan Company, New York. (Google Books … Continue reading

From this mistaken notion arose such adages as: “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” It would be nearer the truth to say: “It is always too late to be what you might have been.” With each advancing year, this becomes an absolute truth in the case of the vast majority who have reached the age of twenty.

In 1897 William DeVere, self-described tramp poet of the West, published a short piece titled “Horse Philosophy” that included a set of adages and a rephrased unattributed version of Procter’s words: [10] 1897, Jim Marshall’s New Planner and Other Western Stories (Specially adapted for public reading) by William De Vere, Horse Philosophy, Quote Page 74, M. Witmark & Sons, New York. (Google … Continue reading

And try to do to others as you’d have them do to you. Remember that no star is lost that you might once have seen, Remember that you always may be what you might have been, No matter what your task in life be sure you never shirk,

In 2011 “The New Yorker” magazine published “Middlemarch and Me: What George Eliot Teaches Us” by Rebecca Mead who discussed the quotation and its mysterious ascription to Eliot. Mead’s stance was skeptical, and she recounted the words of Professor Leah Price: [11] 2011 February 14, The New Yorker, Life and Letters: Middlemarch and Me: What George Eliot teaches us by Rebecca Mead, Start Page 76, Quote Page 82, Column 2 and 3,The New Yorker Magazine, Inc., New … Continue reading

I’ve always assumed it was apocryphal. It shows up nowhere in full text searches of G.E.’s work. What’s strange is not that the attribution is so persistent but that it starts very early.

Price told Mead about the 1881 contest in “Literary News” that presented the first known instance of the quotation.

In conclusion, QI speculates that the quote attributed to George Eliot is traceable to the line written by Adelaide Anne Procter: “We always may be what we might have been”. In this scenario Procter’s statement would have been rephrased and then reassigned to Eliot. This process may have occurred in the mind of the individual who sent the quote to “Literary News”. Alternatively, the transition may have occurred in multiple steps. Perhaps future research will uncover these intermediary steps. Of course, other hypotheses are not ruled out.

(Great thanks to Karen Pfeiffer Jones @nykaren24 whose inquiry gave impetus to QI to formulate this question and initiate this exploration. Special thanks to Rebecca Mead and Leah Price for their very valuable efforts.)

George Eliot: 'It is never too late to be what you might have been.'

It is never too late to be what you might have been.

The quote by George Eliot, "It is never too late to be what you might have been," encapsulates a powerful message about the potential for personal growth and self-realization. In straightforward terms, it suggests that no matter the stage of life one finds themselves in, they always have the opportunity to fulfill their untapped potential and become the person they truly desire to be. This quote resonates with individuals who may have felt that their circumstances, past choices, or societal expectations have hindered their pursuit of their true passions and aspirations.What makes this quote truly remarkable is not just its motivational aspect, but also the underlying philosophical concept it introduces. It delves into the realm of existentialism, a philosophical school of thought that emphasizes individuals' freedom and responsibility in creating their own meaning and purpose in life. By suggesting that it is never too late to be what one might have been, the quote aligns with the existentialist notion that individuals have the power to shape their own identity and essence, regardless of external factors or societal constraints.While the quote itself may seem straightforward, the implications are profound. It challenges the conventional notion that one's path in life is predetermined or limited by circumstances. It invites individuals to reflect upon their deepest desires, passions, and dreams, and to take charge of their own journey, unburdened by the constraints of time or regret.Moreover, this quote also highlights the importance of personal growth and self-actualization. It serves as a reminder that life is an ongoing process of learning, discovering, and transforming oneself. It emphasizes the inherent potential within each individual to evolve, improve, and strive for greatness, regardless of age or past experiences.To better understand the depth of this quote, it is essential to contrast it with the prevalent belief that opportunities diminish with age. Society often perpetuates the notion that one's dreams and aspirations should be pursued solely in youth, creating the idea that if these goals are not achieved early on, they become unattainable. This narrow perspective can be discouraging, leading individuals to abandon or dismiss their deepest desires, believing that it is too late to pursue them.However, George Eliot's quote challenges this fixed mindset, asserting that it is never too late to embark on a journey of self-discovery and actualization. By doing so, it dispels the limitations that societal expectations may impose and encourages individuals to embrace their unfulfilled potential, irrespective of their age or circumstances. This perspective widens the horizon of possibilities, allowing individuals to view their lives as an ongoing opportunity for growth, exploration, and self-fulfillment.In conclusion, George Eliot's quote, "It is never too late to be what you might have been," offers a powerful reminder of the potential for personal growth and self-realization that exists within all individuals. By transcending the constraints of age, societal expectations, and past choices, this quote encourages individuals to embrace their untapped potential and pursue their deepest desires. The underlying existentialist philosophy adds another layer of depth to the message, emphasizing personal freedom and responsibility in shaping one's own identity and purpose in life. Ultimately, this quote serves as a call to action, inspiring individuals to seize the present moment and strive to become the person they have always aspired to be.

George Eliot: 'Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.'

Henry david thoreau: 'disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. the obedient must be slaves.'.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

current events

Lesson of the Day: Inspiration From The Times’s ‘It’s Never Too Late’ Series

In this lesson, students will read about people who pursued dreams later in life. Then, they will interview someone with a similar story, or make a plan to pursue a dream of their own.

By Jeremy Engle

Lesson Overview

Featured Series: “It’s Never Too Late”

Many of us dream of trying something new, but then somehow fail to get around to it. A new Times series, “It’s Never Too Late,” tells the inspiring stories of people who have decided to switch gears, change their lives and pursue their dreams.

Whether it’s playing the cello , climbing a mountain , learning to ride horseback or recording your first album, these stories are a reminder that you never know what the future holds — but you do have the power to shape it. As Vijaya Srivastava, who learned to swim at 68, put it: “Finally I decided if I don’t try, it’s never going to happen.”

In this lesson, you will learn about people who prove that you can always change your life. In a Going Further activity, you will use some of the Times’s articles as mentor texts to create your own portrait of an older person who tried something new later in their lives. Or, you can make a plan to pursue a dream of your own!

Consider the two sayings:

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

“It's never too late to be what you might have been.”

Which of these sayings do you find more accurate, more true to life?

Turn to a partner and share your thoughts. Then, discuss one or more of the following questions:

Are there certain things that are easier or harder to learn, depending on your age?

Is there anything that, in your relatively young life, you already feel it’s too late to try?

Are there any goals you have that might be better to pursue when you are older?

Article Choices:

Choose one of the articles in the “It’s Never Too Late” series to read in its entirety:

It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love For Phyllis Raphael, 86, a chance meeting on the street turned into a get-together. Then came a date. A second and third followed. So did a love affair.

It’s Never Too Late to Record Your First Album For a celebrated architecture professor at the University of California, Berkeley, an album of 11 original songs, in a variety of genres, was eight decades in the making.

It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Spiritual Calling After coming out as a transgender woman more than two years ago, Vica Steel never dreamed of forging a path to church leadership. Until now.

It’s Never Too Late to Climb That Mountain Dierdre Wolownick, whose son, Alex Honnold, is one of the world’s top rock climbers, ascended Yosemite’s El Capitan to celebrate her 70th birthday.

It’s Never Too Late to Publish a Debut Book and Score a Netflix Deal Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, at 50, is not the average age of a debut author. But the public school teacher describes herself as a “literary debutante” with the October publication of “My Monticello.”

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Answer the questions below based on the article you read:

1. Which article in the “It’s Never Too Late” series did you select and why? Give a short snapshot of the older person profiled in the piece, including at least two significant biographical details.

2. What was this person’s goal? What obstacles prevented them from pursuing their dream when they were younger? What finally prompted or inspired them to go for it?

3. What did they discover when they achieved their long-sought-after goal — about themselves and about life?

4. What quote, image or detail from the article did you find most surprising, moving or memorable? If you could interview the person profiled in the article, what else would you want to know about them? Why?

5. Return to the warm-up activity: How does reading the article add to or change your perspective on the two sayings? What life lessons and inspiration can you draw from the story? Have you ever had a dream or goal? If so, are you now more inspired to pursue it? How might you do that?

Going Further

Option 1: Interview an older person

Imagine you have been hired to write the next entry in the “It’s Never Too Late” series. Who would you profile and why? What questions would you ask? How might these experiences inform, engage and inspire readers of The Times?

Do you know any inspiring people who prove it’s never too late to switch gears, change a life and pursue dreams? You can choose to spotlight someone in your own family.

Whomever you choose, follow the formula used in this column. Make sure to include a photo, a brief preface introducing the person (including at least two biographical details about their life before they reached their goal), and an interview excerpt that you feel highlights that person’s achievement, in their own words.

Be sure to do some background research on the person you choose so you can develop a set of interview questions in advance. You can also draw from some of the questions used in the series, such as: Tell me about the life you’d been leading before this change? How did you find the courage and strength to take that initial step? What were the biggest challenges in your journey? What would you tell other people who feel stuck and are looking to make a change?

If you are doing this project as a class, you might bring your stories together when everyone is done and publish them somehow — on a school website, via social media, or by printing them and hanging them in a public place.

Option 2: Pursue a goal you always dreamed of, but never had the courage to try.

“It’s Never Too Late” is the name of the Times series, but why wait until you are much older? Think of a goal — big or small — and go for it now!

Whether it’s learning to swim, playing a new musical instrument or climbing a mountain for the first time, now it’s your turn to learn a new skill, pursue a deferred dream or just try something completely different.

Once you settle on your goal, map it out. How will you start pursuing it now? Where do you hope to end up? What steps will help you get there? Create a path for yourself.

For inspiration, you might use the stories from the series as well as the sage advice of its protagonists, such as the words of 93-year-old Vera Jiji, who took up cello at 62. She urged others: “Don’t say no to yourself.” Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, who at 50 made her literary debut, advised others to “embrace rejection and find your people.” And Rose Young, who learned to ride a horse at 63, said, “Don’t be afraid of embarrassment or opening yourself up to criticism.”

We wish you the best in realizing your goal!

Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here .

Jeremy Engle joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2018 after spending more than 20 years as a classroom humanities and documentary-making teacher, professional developer and curriculum designer working with students and teachers across the country. More about Jeremy Engle

• Skip to main content
• Skip to secondary menu
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

ImportantIndia.com

Indian History, Festivals, Essays, Paragraphs, Speeches.

‘It’s never too late’ – Origin, Meaning, Expansion, Importance

Category: Proverbs, Sayings, Idioms and Phrases On August 8, 2016 By LightHouse

Origin of the phrase.

The earliest written form of the proverb, ‘it’s never too late’, is often attested to be in the works of the novelist George Eliot in the late nineteenth century.

However, it is likely that by the time Eliot wrote the proverb down, people had been saying it to each other for centuries.

This proverb, “it’s never too late”, means that ‘it does not matter how late it is, a person should always take the opportunity to pursue their goals’. It means that:

• there is always time to start what we wanted to start,
• there is always time to pick up again something that we had stopped doing.
• the present moment is always a great time to follow our dreams.

This proverb encourages us to get to work. It emphasizes on the fact that that a new task can be started anytime and there is no need to waste any further time.

To what does ‘it’ refer, for example? It can be whatever activity the person using the proverb wants it to refer to.

This proverb is often cited as an answer to a complaint: when people complain ‘it is too late to do a thing’, other can reply that ‘it’s never too late’.

The idea of being too late is crucial to this proverb. Too late can be many things. It might mean missing a deadline for school. Or, it might mean getting too old to pursue a certain activity. Often, the idea of what is too late or on time is a subjective one.

The aim of this proverb is to ‘motivate people to begin projects that they had been putting off’ . It’s never to late to learn something new. There’s always time to get an education. This proverb can be used to combat ageism.

Often, the phrase ‘it’s never too late’ is often incorporated into a longer phrase. For example, people sometimes say ‘it’s never too late to begin’ or ‘it’s never too late to change your life’.

The importance of this proverb.

1. Motivation: This proverb encourages people to start on their projects and realize their dreams.

2. Uplifting: When people feel despairing, as if they have missed their chance to do something they wanted to do, the proverb ‘it’s never too late’ can uplift them and banish those despairing feelings.

3. Countering prejudice: It is often said that at a certain point in our lives, it is too late to begin some projects. For example, there are those who think that pensioners are too old to go to high school or university or that people who missed out on passing their driving test the first time around have lost their opportunity completely. The proverb ‘it’s never too late’ assures us that, no matter how old we are, we can start anything that we want to!

4. Helping with work stress: In our working lives, we are often hit with deadlines that we cannot always meet. The proverb ‘it’s never too late’ encourages us to believe that it is never too late to salvage a situation.

5. Recovering relationships: This proverb is often cited in a romantic context. It’s never too late to tell the love of our life that we love them or to reconcile after some time apart.

Conclusion.

The proverb ‘it’s never too late’ is a positive and encouraging phrase that enables people to live life to the full. If we live by this proverb, rather than feeling like one missed opportunity means that we can never go back and start all over again, we know that it is in our power to begin whatever projects we want to begin – at any time of life. We can apply this proverb to all areas of life, whether in a professional context or in a romantic and personal context.

• History of Mughal Empire
• Modern History of India
• Important India
• Indian Geography
• Report an Article
• Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Copyrights.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Is It Really Too Late to Learn New Skills?

By Margaret Talbot

Among the things I have not missed since entering middle age is the sensation of being an absolute beginner. It has been decades since I’ve sat in a classroom in a gathering cloud of incomprehension (Algebra 2, tenth grade) or sincerely tried, lesson after lesson, to acquire a skill that was clearly not destined to play a large role in my life (modern dance, twelfth grade). Learning to ride a bicycle in my early thirties was an exception—a little mortifying when my husband had to run alongside the bike, as you would with a child—but ultimately rewarding. Less so was the time when a group of Japanese schoolchildren tried to teach me origami at a public event where I was the guest of honor—I’ll never forget their sombre puzzlement as my clumsy fingers mutilated yet another paper crane.

Like Tom Vanderbilt, a journalist and the author of “Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning” (Knopf), I learn new facts all the time but new skills seldom. Journalists regularly drop into unfamiliar subcultures and domains of expertise, learning enough at least to ask the right questions. The distinction he draws between his energetic stockpiling of declarative knowledge, or knowing that , and his scant attention to procedural knowledge, or knowing how , is familiar to me. The prospect of reinventing myself as, say, a late-blooming skier or ceramicist or marathon runner sparks only an idle interest, something like wondering what it might be like to live in some small town you pass on the highway.

There is certainly a way to put a positive spin on that reluctance. If you love your job and find it intellectually and creatively fulfilling, you may not feel the urge to discover other rooms in the house of your mind, whatever hidden talents and lost callings may repose there. But there are less happy forces at work, too. There’s the fear of being bad at something you think is worthwhile—and, maybe even more so, being seen to be bad at it—when you have accustomed yourself to knowing, more or less, what you’re doing. What’s the point of starting something new when you know you’ll never be much good at it? Middle age, to go by my experience—and plenty of research—brings greater emotional equanimity, an unspectacular advantage but a relief. (The lows aren’t as low, the highs not as high.) Starting all over at something would seem to put you right back into that emotional churn—exhilaration, self-doubt, but without the open-ended possibilities and renewable energy of youth. Parties mean something different and far more exciting when you’re younger and you might meet a person who will change your life; so does learning something new—it might be fun, but it’s less likely to transform your destiny at forty or fifty.

In “Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over,” Nell Painter, as distinguished a historian as they come—legions of honors, seven books, a Princeton professorship—recounts her experience earning first a B.F.A. at Rutgers and then an M.F.A. at the Rhode Island School of Design while in her sixties. As a Black woman used to feeling either uncomfortably singled out or ignored in public spaces where Black women were few, she was taken aback in art school to find that “old” was such an overwhelming signifier: “It wasn’t that I stopped being my individual self or stopped being black or stopped being female, but that old , now linked to my sex, obscured everything else beyond old lady .” Painter finds herself periodically undone by the overt discouragement of some of her teachers or the silence of her fellow-students during group crits of her work—wondering if they were “critiquing me, old-black-woman-totally-out-of-place,” or her work. Reading her book, I was full of admiration for Painter’s willingness to take herself out of a world in which her currency—scholarly accomplishment—commanded respect and put herself into a different one where that coin often went unrecognized altogether, all out of exultation in the art-making itself. But her quest also induced some anxiety in me.

Painter is no dilettante: she’s clear about not wanting to be a “Sunday Painter”; she is determined to be an Artist, and recognized as such. But “dilettante” is one of those words which deter people from taking up new pursuits as adults. Many of us are wary of being dismissed as dabblers, people who have a little too much leisure, who are a little too cute and privileged in our pastimes. This seems a narrative worth pushing back against. We might remember, as Vanderbilt points out, that the word “dilettante” comes from the Italian for “to delight.” In the eighteenth century, a group of aristocratic Englishmen popularized the term, founding the Society of the Dilettanti to undertake tours of the Continent, promote the art of knowledgeable conversation, collect art, and subsidize archeological expeditions. Frederick II of Prussia dissed the dilettanti as “lovers of the arts and sciences” who “understand them only superficially but who however are ranked in superior class to those who are totally ignorant.” (They were, of course, wealthy, with oodles of time on their hands.) The term turned more pejorative in modern times, with the rise of professions and of licensed expertise. But if you think of dilettantism as an endorsement of learning for learning’s sake—not for remuneration or career advancement but merely because it delights the mind—what’s not to love?

Maybe it could be an antidote to the self-reported perfectionism that has grown steadily more prevalent among college students in the past three decades. Thomas Curran and Andrew P. Hill, the authors of a 2019 study on perfectionism among American, British, and Canadian college students, have written that “increasingly, young people hold irrational ideals for themselves, ideals that manifest in unrealistic expectations for academic and professional achievement, how they should look, and what they should own,” and are worried that others will judge them harshly for their perceived failings. This is not, the researchers point out, good for mental health. In the U.S., we’ll be living, for the foreseeable future, in a competitive, individualistic, allegedly meritocratic society, where we can inspect and troll and post humiliating videos of one another all the live-long day. Being willing to involve yourself in something you’re mediocre at but intrinsically enjoy, to give yourself over to the imperfect pursuit of something you’d like to know how to do for no particular reason, seems like a small form of resistance.

Tom Vanderbilt got motivated to start learning again during the time he spent waiting about while his young daughter did her round of lessons and activities. Many of us have been there, “on some windowless lower level of a school huddled near an electrical outlet to keep your device alive,” as he nicely puts it—waiting, avoiding the parents who want to talk scores and rankings, trying to shoehorn a bit of work into a stranded hour or two. But not many of us are inspired to wonder, in such moments, why we ourselves aren’t in there practicing our embouchure on the trumpet or our Salchow on the ice. This may speak to my essential laziness, but I have fond memories of curling up on the child-size couch in the musty, overheated basement of our local community center reading a book for a stolen hour, while my kids took drum lessons and fencing classes. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, asks himself whether “we, in our constant chaperoning of these lessons, were imparting a subtle lesson: that learning was for the young.” Rather than molder on the sidelines, he decides to throw himself into acquiring five new skills. (That’s his term, though I started to think of these skills as “accomplishments” in the way that marriageable Jane Austen heroines have them, talents that make a long evening pass more agreeably, that can turn a person into more engaging company, for herself as much as for others.) Vanderbilt’s search is for “the naïve optimism, the hypervigilant alertness that comes with novelty and insecurity, the willingness to look foolish, and the permission to ask obvious questions—the unencumbered beginner’s mind. ” And so he tries to achieve competence, not mastery, in chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and making. (He learns to weld a wedding ring to replace two he lost surfing.) He adds juggling, not because he’s so interested in it but because—with its steep and obvious learning curve (most people, starting from scratch, can learn to juggle three balls in a few days) and its fun factor—juggling is an oft-used task for laboratory studies of how people learn. These accomplishments aren’t likely to help his job performance as a journalist, or to be marketable in any way, except insofar as the learning of them forms the idea for the book.

Link copied

Vanderbilt is good on the specific joys and embarrassments of being a late-blooming novice, or “kook,” as surfers sometimes call gauche beginners. How you think you know how to sing a song but actually know only how to sing along with one, so that, when you hear your own voice, stripped of the merciful camouflage the recorded version provides, “you’re not only hearing the song as you’ve never quite heard it, you are hearing your voice as you’ve never quite heard it.” The particular, democratic pleasure of making that voice coalesce with others’ in a choir, coupled with the way, when friends and family come to see your adult group perform, “the parental smile of eternal indulgence gives way to a more complicated expression.” The fact that feedback, especially the positive kind stressing what you’re doing right, delivered by an actual human teacher or coach watching what you do, is crucial for a beginner—which might seem obvious except that, in an age when so many instructional videos of every sort are available online, you might get lulled into thinking you could learn just as well without it. The weirdness of the phenomenon that, for many of us, our drawing skills are frozen forever as they were when we were kids. Children tend to draw better, Vanderbilt explains, when they are around five years old and rendering what they feel; later, they fall into what the psychologist Howard Gardner calls “the doldrums of literalism ”—trying to draw exactly what they see but without the technical skill or instruction that would allow them to do so effectively. Many of us never progress beyond that stage. Personally, I’m stuck at about age eight, when I filled notebooks with ungainly, scampering horses. Yet I was entranced by how both Vanderbilt and, in her far more ambitious way, Painter describe drawing as an unusually absorbing, almost meditative task—one that makes you look at the world differently even when you’re not actually doing it and pours you into undistracted flow when you are.

One problem with teaching an old dog new tricks is that certain cognitive abilities decline with age, and by “age” I mean starting as early as one’s twenties. Mental-processing speed is the big one. Maybe that’s one reason that air-traffic controllers have to retire at age fifty-six, while English professors can stay at it indefinitely. Vanderbilt cites the work of Neil Charness, a psychology professor at Florida State University, who has shown that the older a chess player is the slower she is to perceive a threatened check, no matter what her skill level. Processing speed is why I invariably lose against my daughter (pretty good-naturedly, if you ask me) at a game that I continue to play: Anomia. In this game, players flip cards bearing the names of categories (dog breeds, Olympic athletes, talk-show hosts, whatever), and, if your card displays the same small symbol as one of your opponents’ does, you try to be the first to call out something belonging to the other person’s category. If my daughter and I each had ten minutes to list as many talk-show hosts as we could, I’d probably triumph—after all, I have several decades of late-night-TV viewing over her. But, with speed the essence, a second’s lag in my response speed cooks my goose every game.

Still, as Rich Karlgaard notes in his reassuring book “Late Bloomers: The Hidden Strengths of Learning and Succeeding at Your Own Pace,” there are cognitive compensations. “Our brains are constantly forming neural networks and pattern-recognition capabilities that we didn’t have in our youth when we had blazing synaptic horsepower,” he writes. Fluid intelligence, which encompasses the capacity to suss out novel challenges and think on one’s feet, favors the young. But crystallized intelligence—the ability to draw on one’s accumulated store of knowledge, expertise, and Fingerspitzengefühl —is often enriched by advancing age. And there’s more to it than that: particular cognitive skills rise and fall at different rates across the life span, as Joshua K. Hartshorne, now a professor of psychology at Boston College, and Laura T. Germine, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, show in a 2015 paper on the subject. Processing speed peaks in the late teens, short-term memory for names at around twenty-two, short-term memory for faces at around thirty, vocabulary at around fifty (in some studies, even at around sixty-five), while social understanding, including the ability to recognize and interpret other people’s emotions, rises at around forty and tends to remain high. “Not only is there no age at which humans are performing at peak at all cognitive tasks,” Hartshorne and Germine conclude, “there may not be an age at which humans are at peak on most cognitive tasks.” This helps Karlgaard’s case that we need a “kinder clock for human development”—societal pressure on young adults to specialize and succeed right out of college is as wrongheaded and oppressive on the one end of life as patronizing attitudes toward the old are on the other.

The gift of crystallized intelligence explains why some people can bloom spectacularly when they’re older—especially, perhaps, in a field like literature, where a rich vein of life experience can be a writerly asset. Annie Proulx published her first novel at the age of fifty-six, Raymond Chandler at fifty-one. Frank McCourt, who had been a high-school teacher in New York City for much of his career, published his first book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir “Angela’s Ashes,” at sixty-six. Edith Wharton, who had been a society matron prone to neurasthenia and trapped in a gilded cage of a marriage, produced no novels until she was forty. Publishing fiction awakened her from what she described as “a kind of torpor,” a familiar feeling for the true later bloomer. “I had groped my way through to my vocation,” Wharton wrote, “and thereafter I never questioned that story-telling was my job.”

In science and technology, we often think of the people who make precocious breakthroughs as the true geniuses—Einstein developing his special theory of relativity at twenty-six. Einstein himself once said that “a person who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of thirty will never do so.” A classic paper on the relationship between age and scientific creativity showed that American Nobel winners tended to have done their prize-winning work at thirty-six in physics, thirty-nine in chemistry, and forty-one in medicine—that creativity rose in the twenties and thirties and began a gradual decline in the forties.

That picture has been complicated by more recent research. According to a 2014 working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, which undertook a broad review of the research on age and scientific breakthroughs, the average age at which people make significant contributions to science has been rising during the twentieth century—notably to forty-eight, for physicists. (One explanation might be that the “burden of knowledge” that people have to take on in many scientific disciplines has increased.) Meanwhile, a 2016 paper in Science that considered a wider range of scientists than Nobelists concluded that “the highest-impact work in a scientist’s career is randomly distributed within her body of work. That is, the highest-impact work can be, with the same probability, anywhere in the sequence of papers published by a scientist—it could be the first publication, could appear mid-career, or could be a scientist’s last publication.”

When it comes to more garden-variety late blooming, the kind of new competencies that Vanderbilt is seeking, he seems to have gone about it in the most promising way. For one thing, it appears that people may learn better when they are learning multiple skills at once, as Vanderbilt did. A recent study that looked at the experiences of adults over fifty-five who learned three new skills at once—for example, Spanish, drawing, and music composition—found that they not only acquired proficiency in these areas but improved their cognitive functioning over all, including working and episodic memory. In a 2017 paper, Rachel Wu, a neuroscientist at U.C. Riverside, and her co-authors, George W. Rebok and Feng Vankee Lin, propose six factors that they think are needed to sustain cognitive development, factors that tend to be less present in people’s lives as they enter young adulthood and certainly as they grow old. These include what the Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset,” the belief that abilities are not fixed but can improve with effort; a commitment to serious rather than “hobby learning” (in which “the learner casually picks up skills for a short period and then quits due to difficulty, disinterest, or other time commitments”); a forgiving environment that promotes what Dweck calls a “not yet” rather than a “cannot” approach; and a habit of learning multiple skills simultaneously, which may help by encouraging the application of capacities acquired in one domain to another. What these elements have in common, Wu and her co-authors point out, is that they tend to replicate how children learn.

So eager have I been all my life to leave behind the subjects I was bad at and hunker down with the ones I was good at—a balm in many ways—that, until reading these books, I’d sort of forgotten the youthful pleasure of moving our little tokens ahead on a bunch of winding pathways of aptitude, lagging behind here, surging ahead there. I’d been out of touch with that sense of life as something that might encompass multiple possibilities for skill and artistry. But now I’ve been thinking about taking up singing in a serious way again, learning some of the jazz standards my mom, a professional singer, used to croon to me at bedtime. If learning like a child sounds a little airy-fairy, whatever the neuroscience research says, try recalling what it felt like to learn how to do something new when you didn’t really care what your performance of it said about your place in the world, when you didn’t know what you didn’t know. It might feel like a whole new beginning. ♦

Books & Fiction

By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

By Dhruv Khullar

By Brendan Loper

By Christopher Weyant

Essay on Better Late Than Never

Students are often asked to write an essay on Better Late Than Never in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Better Late Than Never

Introduction.

“Better Late Than Never” is a popular saying that means it’s better to do something late than not doing it at all. It teaches us the value of time and encourages us to complete our tasks, even if we are late.

Importance of Time

Time is precious. Once gone, it never comes back. It’s important to do things on time. But if for some reason we can’t, we should still try to finish it. It’s better to be late than never.

Examples from Life

In real life, we see many examples of this saying. If we are late for school, it’s better to still go than miss the whole day. If we forget a friend’s birthday, it’s better to wish late than not at all.

In conclusion, “Better Late Than Never” is a wise saying. It teaches us to not give up even if we are late. It tells us that it’s never too late to do the right thing.

250 Words Essay on Better Late Than Never

The phrase “Better Late Than Never” is an old saying that teaches us about the value of time. It means that it is better to do something late than not doing it at all. It tells us that even if we are late in achieving our goals, we should not give up.

Understanding the Phrase

“Better Late Than Never” is a simple yet powerful phrase. It tells us that if we have missed the right time to do something, we should not feel sad or lose hope. Instead, we should still go ahead and do it, even if it’s late. This phrase encourages us to keep trying and not give up.

Importance in Life

This phrase plays a key role in our lives. For example, if we start studying for an exam a bit late, it’s still better than not studying at all. Similarly, if we apologize for a mistake late, it’s better than never saying sorry. This phrase gives us hope and courage to face challenges, even if we are late.

In conclusion, “Better Late Than Never” is a wise saying that teaches us not to lose hope, even if we are late. It motivates us to keep trying and never give up. It tells us that it’s always better to do something late than never doing it at all. So, let’s keep this phrase in mind and apply it in our life.

500 Words Essay on Better Late Than Never

The phrase “Better Late Than Never” is a well-known English saying that has been used for many years. It suggests that it’s always good to do something, even if it is late, rather than not doing it at all. This phrase can be applied to many situations in our daily lives.

The Importance of the Phrase

The phrase “Better Late Than Never” is very important. It teaches us that it is never too late to start doing something good or beneficial. Sometimes we might feel that we are too late to start something new, like learning a musical instrument or a new language. This phrase encourages us not to give up, and to start, even if we feel it’s late. It’s about not missing opportunities and making the best use of our time.

Examples in Daily Life

We can see examples of “Better Late Than Never” in our daily lives. Suppose you have a project due tomorrow, and you haven’t started yet. You might think it’s too late and decide not to do it. But it’s better to start late and finish the project than not do it at all. You might not get the best grade, but you will learn something and avoid a zero.

Another example can be seen in our health habits. It’s never too late to start eating healthy or exercising. Even if you have been eating junk food all your life, it’s better to start eating healthy late than never.

Role in Personal Growth

The phrase “Better Late Than Never” also plays a big role in our personal growth. It helps us to stay motivated and keep trying, even when things get tough. It encourages us to take action, even if we think it’s too late. This can lead to personal development and growth.

For example, if you are an adult who never finished high school, it’s not too late to go back to school and get your diploma. It might be challenging, but it’s better to do it late than never.

In conclusion, the phrase “Better Late Than Never” is a valuable life lesson. It teaches us to never give up, to seize opportunities, and to strive for personal growth. It shows us that it’s never too late to start something good or beneficial. So, remember, it’s always better late than never!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Biggest Concern For The Future
• Essay on Biggest Fear
• Essay on Biggest Regret In Life

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• English Conversation Lessons
• English Essay Topics
• English Autobiography Examples
• Report Writing
• Letter Writing
• Expansion of Ideas(English Proverbs)
• English Grammar
• English Debate Topics
• English Stories
• English Speech Topics
• English Poems
• Riddles with Answers
• English Idioms
• Simple English Conversations
• Greetings & Wishes
• Thank you Messages
• Premium Plans
• Student’s Log In

. » Expansion of Ideas » It’s Never Too Late to Mend

Expansion of an Idea – “It’s Never Too Late to Mend” for Students / Teachers / Parents

The proverb “It’s Never Too Late to Mend” emphasizes the importance of continuing efforts to make amends, even after a long period of time has passed. This proverb teaches us that it is never too late to take steps towards reconciliation, healing, and growth. It reminds us that it is never too late to make positive changes in our lives, relationships, and communities.

It’s Never Too Late to Mend

The proverb “It’s never too late to mend” suggests that no matter how difficult or hopeless a situation or relationship may seem, it is always possible to repair or improve it. This phrase implies that it is never too late to make amends, seek forgiveness, or take steps to resolve a conflict.

The proverb emphasizes the importance of perseverance and a positive attitude in the face of challenges. It encourages us to remain hopeful and to believe that positive change is possible, even when things may seem dire or impossible.

Ooops!…. Unable to read further?

Read this expansion of idea completely by buying our premium plan below, plus get free access to below content.

100+ Video and Audio based English Speaking Course Conversations 12000+ Text & Audio based Frequently used Vocabulary & Dialogues with correct pronunciations Full Grammar & 15000+ Solved Composition topics on Essay Writing, Autobiography, Report Writing, Debate Writing, Story Writing, Speech Writing, Letter Writing, Expansion of Ideas(Proverbs), Expansion of Idioms, Riddles with Answers, Poem Writing and many more topics Plus Access to the Daily Added Content

Already a Customer? Sign In to Unlock

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

English Courses

• Mom & Son Breakfast Talk
• Dad & Son Breakfast Talk
• Going Out for Breakfast
• Healthy Breakfast Ideas
• Breakfast Table Conversation
• Talking about Household Chores
• Power Outage Conversation
• Speaking About Vegetables
• Talk About Television
• Telephone Conversation in English
• Renting an Apartment Vocabulary
• Talking about Pets
• Self Introduction Conversation
• Introduce Yourself in English
• Morning Walk Conversation
• Make New Friends Conversation
• English Speaking with Friends
• Conversation Between Siblings
• Talking about Smartphones
• Talking About City Life
• English Conversation on the Bus
• Talking about Dust Allergy
• Talking about Food Allergies
• Brushing Teeth Conversation
• Replacing Worn out Toothbrush
• Brushing Teeth with Braces
• Switching to Herbal Toothpaste
• Benefits of using Tongue Cleaner
• Talking about Illness
• Talking about Fitness and Health
• Talking About Fitness for Kids
• Visiting a Doctor Conversation
• Speaking about Lifestyle
• Conversation about Air Pollution
• Using an ATM Conversation
• Opening a Bank Account
• Car Accident Conversation
• Talking about Accident
• Exam Conversation with Kids
• At the Library Conversation
• Talking about Studies
• Offline vs Online School
• Internet Vocabulary and Dialogues
• Advantages of Homeschooling
• Inviting for Birthday Party
• Phone Conversation
• Asking for Directions
• Conversation on the Plane
• At the Airport Conversation
• Lost and Found Conversation
• Museum Vocabulary
• Conversation about Traffic
• Order Food Over the Phone
• At the Restaurant Conversation
• Talking about Music
• English Music Vocabulary
• Talk on Music Band
• Shopping for Clothes
• Buying a Smartphone
• Ordering Flowers Conversation
• English Conversation in Vegetable Market
• At the Supermarket
• At the Pharmacy
• Friends Talking about Chess
• Importance of Outdoor Activities
• Talking About Football
• Weekend Plans Conversation
• At the Beach Conversation
• New Job Conversation
• Business English Conversation
• Expressing Boredom in English
• English Conversation at the Salon
• English Speaking at the Bakery
• Talking About Studies
• Siblings Studying Together
• Speaking about Outdoor Activities
• Talk About Photography
• Essay on My School
• Essay on Summer Vacation
• Essay on Time Management
• Essay on Hard Work
• Essay on Health is Wealth
• Essay on Time is Money
• Republic Day Essay
• Essay on My Hobby
• Essay on Myself
• Essay on My Teacher
• Essay on My Best Friend
• Essay on My Family
• Essay on My Mother
• Essay on My Father
• Essay on Friendship
• Essay on Global Warming
• Essay on Child Labor
• Essay on Mahatma Gandhi
• Essay on Holi
• Essay on Pollution
• Essay on Education
• Essay on Air Pollution
• Essay on Communication
• Essay on Doctor
• Essay on Environment
• Essay on Gender Inequality
• Essay on Happiness
• Essay on Healthy Food
• Essay on My Favorite Festival Diwali
• Essay on My Favorite Sport
• Essay on My Parents
• Essay on Overpopulation
• Essay on Poverty
• Essay on Travelling
• Essay on Unemployment
• Essay on Unity in Diversity
• Essay on Water Pollution
• Essay on Water
• Essay on Women Empowerment
• Essay on Yoga
• Essay on Christmas
• Autobiography of a Book
• Autobiography of a Brook
• Autobiography of a Camera
• Autobiography of a Cat
• Autobiography of a Classroom
• Autobiography of a Coin
• Autobiography of a Dog
• Autobiography of a Doll
• Autobiography of a Farmer
• Autobiography of a Flower
• Autobiography of a Football
• Autobiography of a Haunted House
• Autobiography of a House
• Autobiography of a Kite
• Autobiography of a Library
• Autobiography of a Mobile Phone
• Autobiography of a Mosquito
• Autobiography of a Newspaper
• Autobiography of a Pen
• Autobiography of a Pencil
• Autobiography of a River
• Autobiography of a Table
• Autobiography of a Tiger
• Autobiography of a Tree
• Autobiography of an Umbrella
• Autobiography of Bicycle
• Autobiography of Bird
• Autobiography of Chair
• Autobiography of Clock
• Autobiography of Computer
• Autobiography of Earth
• Autobiography of Lion
• Autobiography of Peacock
• Autobiography of Rain
• Autobiography of a Soldier
• Autobiography of Sun
• Autobiography of Water Bottle
• Autobiography of Water Droplet
• Adopting a Village
• Teaching Children in an Adopted Village
• Programs Organized in an Adopted Village
• Volunteering in an Adopted Village
• Activities in an Adopted Village
• School Annual Day Celebration
• Republic Day Celebration
• Teachers Day Celebration
• World Environment Day Celebration
• Children’s Day Celebration
• Visiting the Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre
• The Animal Sanctuary Visit
• Animal Shelter Visit
• Animal Rescue Center Visit
• Adult Literacy Camp
• Burglary of Jewelry
• India Wins Test Match
• School Children Affected by Food Poisoning
• Heavy Rains in Mumbai
• School Children Injured in Bus Accident
• Complaint Letter to the Chairman of Housing Society
• Request Letter to the Municipal Corporation
• Complaint Letter to the State Electricity Board
• Suggestion Letter to the Chief Minister
• Request Letter to the District Collector
• Request Letter to the Commissioner of Police
• Application Letter for an Internship
• Application Letter for a Job
• Request Letter for a Character Certificate
• Request Letter for a Better Lab and Library
• Global Warming Debate
• Animal Rights Debate
• Climate Change Debate
• Gun Control Debate
• Role of Religion in Society Debate
• Republic Day Speech
• Poems about Life
• Poems about Nature
• Poems for Boys
• Poems for Girls
• Poems for Mothers
• Poems for Friends
• Poems for Kids
• Poems about Trees
• Poems about Peace
• Funny Poems
• Poems About Climate Change
• Poems about Dreams
• Poems about Education
• Poems about Environment
• Poems about Eyes
• Poems about Family
• Poems about Fear
• Poems about Feminism
• Poems about Flowers
• Poems about Freedom
• Poems about Friendship
• Poems about Happiness
• Poems about History
• Poems about Hope
• Poems about India
• Poems about Joy
• Poems about Loneliness
• Poems about Love
• Poems about Night
• Poems about Power
• Poems about Water
• Poems about Women Empowerment
• Poems about Women’s Rights
• Poems on Earth
• Poems on Home
• Poems on Honesty
• Poems on Humanity
• Poems on Jungle
• Poems on Kindness
• Poems on Mental Health
• Poems on Moon
• Poems on Music
• Poems on Patriotism
• A Bad Workman Always Blames His Tools
• A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush
• A Fool and His Money Are Soon Parted
• A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
• A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
• A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
• A Watched Pot Never Boils
• Absence Make the Heart Grow Fonder
• Actions Speak Louder than Words
• All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
• All Good Things Must Come To an End
• All Is Fair in Love and War
• All That Glitters is Not Gold
• All’s Well That Ends Well
• An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
• An Empty Vessel Makes Much Noise
• An Idle Mind is Devil’s Workshop
• As You Sow, So Shall You Reap
• Barking Dogs Seldom Bite
• Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
• Beggars can’t be Choosers
• Better Late than Never
• Better the Devil You Know than the Devil You Don’t
• Birds of a Feather Flock Together
• Blood is Thicker than Water
• Boys will be Boys
• Charity Begins at Home
• Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
• Curiosity Killed the Cat
• Don’t Bite Off More than You Chew
• Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You
• Don’t Blow Your Own Trumpet
• Don’t Count your Chickens Before They Hatch
• Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk
• Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover
• Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
• Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse
• Don’t Throw The Baby Out With the Bathwater
• Early to Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
• Easy Come, Easy Go
• Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
• Every Dog Has His Day
• Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread
• Fortune Favors the Bold
• Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day; Teach a Man to Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime
• Give Credit Where Credit is Due
• God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
• Half a Loaf is Better Than None
• Haste Makes Waste
• Health is Wealth
• Honesty is the Best Policy
• If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again
• If It ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
• If the Shoe Fits, Wear It
• If you can’t Beat them, Join them
• If you Want Something Done Right, Do It Yourself
• Ignorance is Bliss
• It ain’t Over Till the Fat Lady Sings
• It Takes Two to Tango
• It’s a Small World
• It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn
• It’s Better to Ask Forgiveness than Permission
• Its Better to Be Safe than Sorry
• It’s Better to Give than to Receive
• It’s Never Too Late to Mend
• It’s not What you Know, it’s Who you Know
• Jack of All Trades, Master of None
• Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer
• Keep Your Mouth Shut and Your Eyes Open
• Kill Two Birds with One Stone
• Knowledge is Power
• Laughter is the Best Medicine
• Leave No Stone Unturned
• Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
• Life is a Journey, Not a Destination
• Life is Like a Box of Chocolates; You Never Know What You’re Gonna Get
• Like Father, Like Son
• Look Before You Leap
• Love Conquers All
• Make Hay While The Sun Shines
• Money Can’t Buy Happiness
• Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees
• Money Talks
• Necessity is the Mother of Invention
• No Man is an Island
• No Pain, No Gain
• Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
• One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure
• Out of Sight, Out of Mind
• Patience is a Virtue
• Practice Makes Perfect
• Prevention is Better than Cure
• Rome Wasn’t Built in A Day
• Slow and Steady Wins the Race
• The Early Bird Catches the Worm
• The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side
• The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword
• The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating
• There is No Place Like Home
• There’s No Time Like the Present
• Time Heals All Wounds
• Time is Money
• Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth
• Two Heads are Better than One
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do
• Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire
• You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But You Can’t Make it Drink
• You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
• You Can’t Make an Omelet Without Breaking Eggs
• You Scratch My Back, And I’ll Scratch Yours
• You’re Never Too Old to Learn
• You’re Only As Strong As Your Weakest Link
• Parts of Speech
• Lola’s Dream
• Snowy Learns to Brave the Rain
• The Ant Explorer
• The Blind Archer
• The Brave Ant
• The Disguised King
• The Enchanted Blade
• The Enchanted Garden of Melodies
• The Endless Bag
• The Faithful Companion
• The Farmer’s Treasure
• The Frog and the Mischievous Fishes
• The Fruit Seller’s Fortune
• The Generous Monkey of the Forest
• The Gentle Giant
• A Blessing in Disguise
• A Dime a Dozen
• A Piece of Cake
• Apple of My Eye
• As Easy as Pie
• Back to the Drawing Board
• Beat Around the Bush
• Bite the Bullet
• Break a Leg
• Butterflies in My Stomach
• By the Skin of Your Teeth
• Caught Red-Handed
• Come Rain or Shine
• Cool as a Cucumber
• Cry over Spilled Milk
• Cut the Mustard
• Devil’s Advocate
• Down to the Wire
• Drink Like a Fish
• Eating Habits
• Supermarket
• Vegetable Market
• College Canteen
• Household Topics
• Diwali Festival
• Republic Day Wishes
• Birthday wishes for kids
• Birthday Wishes for Sister
• Birthday Wishes for Brother
• Birthday Wishes for Friend
• Birthday Wishes for Daughter
• Birthday Wishes for Son
• Women’s Day Wishes
• Thanks for Birthday Wishes
• Thank You Messages for Friends
• Thanks for Anniversary Wishes

Justin Morgan

Latest articles.

• Practical English Usage
• Overview of Babson University
• Babson University’s Entrepreneurship Program
• The Founding of Babson University
• Babson University’s Impact on the Global Economy
• Babson University’s Post-Pandemic Student Preparation
• Babson University’s Notable Alumni
• Babson University’s Business Research
• Campus Life at Babson University
• Babson University’s Leading Scholars and Experts
• Babson University’s Social Impact Program
• The Future of Babson University
• Top Programs at Cardiff University
• COVID-19 Research at Cardiff University
• Culture and Values of Cardiff University

It’s Never Too Late

written by: Dianne Moritz

As a writer, I found success late in life. Although I’ve been writing since childhood, I never dreamed I could actually publish anything. Still, life is full of surprises: creativity blossoms, connections are made, epiphanies happen, then, suddenly, it veers off in a direction previously unimaginable. In my mid-thirties, I felt dissatisfied and frustrated, so I went into therapy. I found a therapist who encouraged me to jot down my feelings and dreams in journals. I followed his advice. I scribbled nearly every night, which led to anecdotes, poems, stories, letters to editors, and opinion pieces. Reading women’s magazines, I noticed that most of them featured a last page personal essay. I can do that, I thought. I discussed this with my doctor, who said, “Go for it.” I complied. As the old adage goes, it’s never too late. After submitting my compositions to magazines and newspapers around the country, I scored my very first sale, a humor piece, to Woman’s World for $300, in 1983 at age 37. Another sale to them soon followed. Yes, I’m a late bloomer, but I’m in great company. Laura Ingalls Wilder published “Little House on the Prairie” at age 65. She eventually wrote an eight book series that is still popular today. It is the book that keeps on giving….inspiring a hit television show that aired from 1974-1982….and earning millions. Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women,” was 37 when it came out. She is quoted as saying, “ I want to do something splendid…something wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead…I shall write books. ” Her book has been adapted for six films to date, plus a few plays, several mini-series, an opera, a ballet, and a musical. Wow, she’s remembered alright. And everyone on the planet knows about JK Rowling, a divorced, single parent, who penned the Harry Potter series, spawning many block-buster movies, and raking in billions. But here’s the thing, when you’re passionate about something, it’s never about the money. If great success comes, it is merely icing on the cake. The legendary confessional poet, Charles Bukowski, wrote stories and poems for years while traveling around and working various jobs. Hearse Press published his first chapbook of poems in 1960. Bukowski was forty and working for the post office in Los Angeles. In 1969, he quit to write full-time. “ I have one of two choices – stay in the post office and go crazy…or stay out here and play at writer and starve. I have decided to starve. ” He completed his first novel “Post Office” less than a month later, at age 49. Of course, he didn’t starve, as Black Sparrow Press published most of his subsequent works. There are numerous writers who found success later in life. Children’s writer, and one of my Facebook friends, Laurie Wallmark, received her MFA and published her debut book, Dino Pajama Party, at 61. Five female STEM biographies followed. I was 54 when I sold my poem, SANTA LIVES, to Peter, Pauper, Press, who then published it as a holiday gift book. I subsequently sold 4 more picture books. My latest one came out right before my 76th birthday. A year later, I continue to write picture books, haiku, poetry for both kids and adults, as well as essays and editorials. Hey, google “late bloomers” and you’ll find scores of other older writers, and lots of late bloomers in other fields, too. Yes, it’s never too late to follow your passion, no matter what it is. Senior citizens run marathons. President Carter’s mother joined the Peace Corps. Nancy Pelosi’s daughter just released a documentary about her mother. So, wish upon a star, and follow your dreams whenever and wherever they take you.

• Latest Posts

• It’s Never Too Late - February 27, 2024
• The House in The Forest - October 23, 2023
• My Life With Panic Disorder - September 19, 2023

Forgotten Password

Register For This Site

A password will be e-mailed to you.

• LEARNING SKILLS
• Study Skills

It's Never Too Late to Acquire an Education

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Learning Skills:

• A - Z List of Learning Skills
• What is Learning?
• Learning Approaches
• Learning Styles
• 8 Types of Learning Styles
• Understanding Your Preferences to Aid Learning
• Lifelong Learning
• Decisions to Make Before Applying to University
• Top Tips for Surviving Student Life
• Living Online: Education and Learning
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Critical Thinking and Fake News
• Understanding and Addressing Conspiracy Theories
• Critical Analysis
• Top Tips for Study
• Staying Motivated When Studying
• Student Budgeting and Economic Skills
• Getting Organised for Study
• Finding Time to Study
• Sources of Information
• Assessing Internet Information
• Using Apps to Support Study
• What is Theory?
• Styles of Writing
• Effective Reading
• Critical Reading
• Note-Taking from Reading
• Note-Taking for Verbal Exchanges
• Planning an Essay
• How to Write an Essay
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Essay Writing
• How to Write a Report
• Academic Referencing
• Assignment Finishing Touches
• Reflecting on Marked Work
• 6 Skills You Learn in School That You Use in Real Life
• Top 10 Tips on How to Study While Working
• Exam Skills

Get the SkillsYouNeed Study Skills eBook

Part of the Skills You Need Guide for Students .

• Writing a Dissertation or Thesis
• Research Methods
• Teaching, Coaching, Mentoring and Counselling
• Employability Skills for Graduates

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

We tell children they can become whatever they want when they grow up, but sometimes we fail to convince ourselves of the same concept.

Are you in your mid-to-late twenties and regret never attending or finishing college?

Do you know someone middle-aged who wishes they had carved a different path than the one that landed their position with little-to-no career development opportunities?

Are you retired and interested in checking a skill off your bucket list?

It's now your turn to apply the same advice to yourself – you can still be whatever you want to be, despite being all grown up.

No matter how old you are, it's never too late to return to school or acquire an education in another way.

The Importance of an Ongoing Education

The greatest reason for lifelong learning is our ever-changing world.

You'll only offer your full potential if you remain up-to-date with current trends. Enrolling in a degree-seeking or non-matriculated program can also help you develop the skills you may wish you obtained at a younger age.

Returning to school is also a personal decision. Knowledge increases our self-confidence and gives us a sense of fulfilment. You don't need to return for a full Bachelor or Master's program; simply completing, let’s say, a photography course will do wonders for your mental and emotional wellbeing if that's what you've always wanted to do.

How Many Ways Can We Benefit from an Education?

The reasons or motivation for returning to school differs with each person, yet life experiences or deep-seated desires fuel the majority.

There are many possible reasons that people over 35 seek an education later in life. For instance, people over 60 may describe their return to school as a way of being social, battling loneliness , and exercising their brain. Others in mid-life are tired of being unhappy with their career and decide to pursue their dreams.

To recap, the many benefits include:

• Personal and professional development .
• An enhanced understanding of the world around us.
• Access to greater opportunities and an improved quality of life.
• Confidence and self-esteem.
• The ability to adapt to change .
• Developing a more satisfying personal life.
• Challenging our ideas and beliefs , which allows us to grow.

Of course, the list doesn't stop there, but it’s important to know that getting an education will have a positive impact on your life in one way or another.

How Do You Jump Back in, Years Later?

The transition from high school to college may be seamless, but flash forward 10, 20 or 30 years and you may not know where to begin.

The task becomes more daunting when work schedules, family obligations and general life sneak into the picture, piled on the common concerns that weigh on everyone, regardless of age.

However, there is always a solution, so take a look at what you can do.

1. Assess Your Current Position

• Is your goal a job promotion or are you seeking professional independence?
• Do you want to master a new hobby?
• What is the end game for six months, a year and 10 years from now?

First, you must ask yourself why you want an education. Pinpointing your desires and goals will simplify the process and help you choose the best program.

Then, take inventory of the skills that you currently possess and those that need to be further developed. Which are essential in achieving your goal?

Compiling a written list may help simplify the process by creating a visual tool that can be followed step-by-step.

2. Make a Plan

Your list of skills from step 1 will also help you in formulating a plan by shedding light on the areas that need more focus.

• Is a certificate all that stands between you and your goal?
• Do you wish you were more confident or more of a go-getter?
• What do you need that will get you where you want to be?
• Is a mentor crucial?
• Do you need to create a portfolio or pass an exam?
• Is school necessary or will an online course suffice?

After figuring out what is it that you need, take stock of your resources such as time and money.

• How much can you spend on your goal?
• What is your daily or weekly schedule and when are the best times to fit classes in?
• Is night more convenient or are you a morning person?

Remember that an education doesn't need to be time-consuming or expensive and that you have control over your future. If returning to school full-time as an undergraduate student doesn't appeal to you and isn't necessary, choose an online program instead.

3. Consider Your Options

While seeking an education, there are two main categories that most people fall into: the online student and the traditional student.

Enrolling in an online class or program can be both cheap and time-effective. It's also a simpler way to get to school, bypassing the inconveniences of commuting and in-class distractions.

In our technologically-driven world, there are many useful resources for online students – from a GED and Bachelor degree to single classes and certificate programs. There are even online graduate programs.

The more traditional, in-class option may be best for hands-on and auditory learners. Though more expensive than online classes, the benefits to physically attending classes include the sharing of ideas and group discussions. And many programs offer both day and evening classes, making them accessible for many schedules.

The important thing to remember is that you have options, so take your time to select the best one for you.

4. Cultivate the Right Mindset

Did you know that older people are usually great students?

Life experience, the need to prove themselves and the desire to actually be there are usually the greatest motivators. And don't worry about being singled out as the oldest person in the class; many younger students recognize the value of sharing a classroom with more experienced peers.

Now that you know what you want and have designed a plan, put it into motion. As the old adage reminds us, the journey of a lifetime begins with a single step , so go ahead and take yours. Don't get discouraged as obstacles approach (and they will). Each cleared hurdle will remind you that the race is easier than you initially thought.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide for Students

Develop the skills you need to make the most of your time as a student.

Our eBooks are ideal for students at all stages of education, school, college and university. They are full of easy-to-follow practical information that will help you to learn more effectively and get better grades.

It's truly never too late to go after what you want, even if that means obtaining an education.

Though it may seem daunting, breaking each part of the process into digestible pieces will make it much easier to pursue your dreams.

Be sure that your intentions are clear, make a list to help visualize what's needed and create a game plan that takes your goals and resources into consideration.

As Brian Herbert once said, " The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice. " Go ahead and make that choice!

About the Author

Jill Phillips is a freelance writer from Buffalo, NY. She writes about business and tech topics. When she is not writing, Jill enjoys taking photos and hiking with her dog.

Continue to: Learning Styles Study Skills

See also: The Importance of Mindset Self-Motivation Personal Development

• Website Inauguration Function.
• Vocational Placement Cell Inauguration
• Media Coverage.
• Certificate & Recommendations
• Privacy Policy
• Science Project Metric
• Social Studies 8 Class
• Computer Fundamentals
• Introduction to C++
• Programming Methodology
• Programming in C++
• Data structures
• Boolean Algebra
• Object Oriented Concepts
• Database Management Systems
• Open Source Software
• Operating System
• PHP Tutorials
• Earth Science
• Physical Science
• Sets & Functions
• Coordinate Geometry
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Statics and Probability
• Accountancy
• Business Studies
• Political Science
• English (Sr. Secondary)

Hindi (Sr. Secondary)

• Punjab (Sr. Secondary)
• Accountancy and Auditing
• Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology
• Automobile Technology
• Electrical Technology
• Electronics Technology
• Hotel Management and Catering Technology
• IT Application
• Marketing and Salesmanship
• Office Secretaryship
• Stenography
• Hindi Essays
• English Essays

Letter Writing

• Shorthand Dictation

English Essay, Paragraph, Speech on “It is Never Too Late to Begin Once Again” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

It is never too late to begin once again.

To err is human. We often slip-up and make mistakes. All of us have our moments of weakness. We commit errors or careless acts which we live to regret later

More than the adults such acts are more common, especially in young boys and girls. They drift aimlessly without giving a thought to the future. It is during this period that they pick up bad habits. These habits could be anything from smoking to bunking classes or even eve-teasing. Such is the age that they do not realize their mistakes. Attempts by elders to correct them are taken as insults by them.

However, most of them realize their mistakes after some time. They understand that what they have been doing till now was wastage of time, energy and money. They become wiser and mend their ways. They correct themselves and begin in earnest to reform themselves. This they begin by giving up bad company and bad habits. They start paying more attention to their future and their profession. Until and unless they do not commit any serious offense the society is always willing to give them a second chance.

This has happened to most of us. Those who have come back from the path of sin and self-pleasure very early in their lives are today much wiser and sensitive and better human beings. While those who have realized their mistakes late in their lives have much to regret. They are the ones who have in their pursuit of pleasure just lost find sincere friendship and relationships. These people can once again try to restart their lives. However, it will remain doubtful that they may become happy and useful citizens. This is so because too much time has gone for them to be accepted once again as a useful member of the society

About evirtualguru_ajaygour

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Quick Links

Popular Tags

Visitors question & answer.

• Gangadhar Singh on Essay on “A Journey in a Crowded Train” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.
• Hemashree on Hindi Essay on “Charitra Bal”, “चरित्र बल” Complete Hindi Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 Students.
• S.J Roy on Letter to the editor of a daily newspaper, about the misuse and poor maintenance of a public park in your area.
• ashutosh jaju on Essay on “If there were No Sun” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.
• Unknown on Essay on “A Visit to A Hill Station” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Download Our Educational Android Apps

Latest Desk

• Role of the Indian Youth | Social Issue Essay, Article, Paragraph for Class 12, Graduation and Competitive Examination.
• Students and Politics | Social Issue Essay, Article, Paragraph for Class 12, Graduation and Competitive Examination.
• Menace of Drug Addiction | Social Issue Essay, Article, Paragraph for Class 12, Graduation and Competitive Examination.
• How to Contain Terrorism | Social Issue Essay, Article, Paragraph for Class 12, Graduation and Competitive Examination.
• Sanskrit Diwas “संस्कृत दिवस” Hindi Nibandh, Essay for Class 9, 10 and 12 Students.
• Nagrik Suraksha Diwas – 6 December “नागरिक सुरक्षा दिवस – 6 दिसम्बर” Hindi Nibandh, Essay for Class 9, 10 and 12 Students.
• Jhanda Diwas – 25 November “झण्डा दिवस – 25 नवम्बर” Hindi Nibandh, Essay for Class 9, 10 and 12 Students.
• NCC Diwas – 28 November “एन.सी.सी. दिवस – 28 नवम्बर” Hindi Nibandh, Essay for Class 9, 10 and 12 Students.
• Example Letter regarding election victory.
• Example Letter regarding the award of a Ph.D.
• Example Letter regarding the birth of a child.
• Example Letter regarding going abroad.
• Letter regarding the publishing of a Novel.

Vocational Edu.

• English Shorthand Dictation “East and Dwellings” 80 and 100 wpm Legal Matters Dictation 500 Words with Outlines.
• English Shorthand Dictation “Haryana General Sales Tax Act” 80 and 100 wpm Legal Matters Dictation 500 Words with Outlines meaning.
• English Shorthand Dictation “Deal with Export of Goods” 80 and 100 wpm Legal Matters Dictation 500 Words with Outlines meaning.
• English Shorthand Dictation “Interpreting a State Law” 80 and 100 wpm Legal Matters Dictation 500 Words with Outlines meaning.

FirstLanguageEnglish.com

Your key to IGCSE First Language English!

• Your Profile
• Membership Signup
• Publications
• Descriptive and Narrative Essay Bank
• Directed Writing Sample Responses – EnglishFirstLanguage.net
• Writer’s Effect – Sample Answers
• Summary – Sample Responses for Question 1(f)
• Mission and Motivation
• Live Tuition Class Interest Form

Search Here ….

It’s never too late. .

The scene is familiar. You wake up one morning and the page of the calendar turns. 

Imperceptibly, you’ve crept one day closer towards that test, that exam. 

Maybe time passed and you didn’t realize it. 

Maybe it wasn’t all that important to you. 

Maybe the only reason that you realized that time had passed was because somebody from up above was nagging you, day after day, telling you… 

“Wake up!”, they say.

“You need to study! Don’t you care about your future? What will you do if you rank number 5 again, but from the bottom of the class?”

It’s not a great feeling, is it? 

You stare at the calendar from where you are, and then you look at the books that you have to read, then you stare at the calendar again.

Before long, you sigh, you sit down, and you begin scrolling TikTok.

I know that feeling all too well.

The sense that time is running out.

The feeling that a large, unstoppable force is coming to you.

The feeling that no matter what, you must run away – all too familiar, yet so common to each one of us, a feeling that we should almost always rather avoid, by human nature or instinct.

The teacher, the parent, the educational consultant would tell you, if only you had planned, you would have averted this situation:

The ocean, they would say, is something that cannot be boiled.

The task is something that must be broken down into meaningful and manageable chunks.

Yet at the end of the day, human beings are human beings, subjected to human constraints, inclinations, and also patterns of thought.

It is almost inevitable that somewhere along the way, our foot may slip.

The divine plan that we thought we would execute, we sway away from, forgetting what we intended to do, we find ourselves running away as our hands move from the book to the phone, from English into videos of restaurant workers dancing.

And before we know it, there we are, in the thrall of sweet escape.

I want you to confront that feeling of hopelessness and remember, for a quick moment, that the time has not run out.

You may have that oppressive feeling as if a sword of Damocles hangs over you and before long, perhaps, the usual suspects shall appear. Doubt, guilt, self-hatred – the sensation that “no matter what I do, it will change nothing.”

“Whatever I read at this point, they will just be words.”

There they are, the self-defeating thoughts come one after another, building from a trickle into a flow and eventually into a deluge that comes to define every single day, before which the pages of the calendar themselves are washed away in words that you told yourself, messaging that eventually led the days to come and pass, eventually leading you to the day of the trial, on which you decided that nothing would have changed anyway, and you call the outcome fate.

I want to remind you that it is not too late. You may think that you are unable to do anything. But that is not the reality.

True, you may be one step closer towards a challenge that you find difficult to overcome.

True, you may not be able to accumulate the skill, the perspicacity, the knowledge, ability, that you hoped for or that would bring you beyond the boundary line.

No problem whatsoever.

But have you ever thought to ask yourself, can it really be that your efforts will mean nothing?

Can it truly be that even if you step forward at this point in time, you will not move further?

What you do in this single moment, you think is but a simple drop in the bucket.

A step that once taken is the end of it.

But I believe something different.

Because I believe that how you made that decision, feeling as if nothing would change, will repeat itself.

If nothing matters in the future, then surely nothing matters now.

Because what is the future but something that is forever becoming the present?

And what is the present, but something that is continually evolving into the past?

When you speak of future outcomes, of which there is uncertain and contingent nature, remember that they are not as far away as you think. Because eventually, they will come.

You say you’ve abandoned the journey because you cannot get the grade that you want.

The A*, the scholarship, anything else at the end of the day.

But right now, I want you to wake up.

Wake up, child.

Did you think this was just about the grade?

Did you forget why you came to this website in the first place?

You didn’t come to just find a random strategy in order to excel.

Well, that was certainly part of it. But if that was all you thought, then you had missed the entire point. Because the point here was that you would learn to appreciate language, its gift, and everything that it would bring along with it.

This was something that had always existed in a plane apart from just your worldly or material achievements. And you are saying now that it is meaningless simply because you only have a month and some change in front of you to make the difference that you thought in the moment of weakness that you should be able to make?

Well, since you are here right now, instead of browsing another 15 TikTok videos that will eventually fade into nothingness but a memory of a dancing girl with no particular talent, you may as well recall for a moment that everything in life builds upon everything else. Because everything is holistic, whether you think so or you don’t.

Every single one of your efforts, in a way that may be unknown to you at this point or at this stage of your life, will somehow count, if not necessarily enough in such a way that it will transform your grade, then definitely still in terms of transforming your mindset towards approaching this world.

Because you are here, you know that there is a chance.

Because you are here, you know that you have the power to change something. Yet you are spending your time avoiding the problem, transforming even this resource into material for procrastination rather than using it in its best form.

Leave that shattered thought behind.

You do not need it and it does not serve you.

Why should you allow an occupier to stand in the fertile territory of your mind when it does not help you?

You don’t believe me?

You want to give up?

Go ahead, drop your First Language English. Maybe you can pick up Cantonese or something like that, although for some reason I don’t think that an IGCSE for that exists. 

Or you could do better.

You could read a single sample essay. You could then write a single essay. You could compare it on that particular day, thinking about the marking criteria, which in your head seem to make sense, yet somehow they differ from what you see on the site.

You could read a single article, thinking about the language it uses, how it affects you, what it impacts, the small little things that I ask you to focus upon, but that often you may ignore. You can ask a friend to read your work, sign up for a last-minute workshop, take a brief moment to reflect on what you are doing, why you want this grade, whatever grade it is, as you realign yourself to the future.

Remember, everything counts.

Even if you feel that you’ve not been running fast enough, don’t look away. The finish line is still ahead. The race didn’t end. And what you need to do right now is move ahead. It doesn’t matter what placing you get, because at the end of the day, you’re all going to the same destination – The destination – not of a grade, not of a specific checkpoint – certainly that of becoming better than you were, even if just by a little bit, as you move forward into a future rife and full of possibilities.

victortanws

Leave a comment cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Recommended Posts

Welcome to FirstLanguageEnglish.com!

Welcome to the ultimate guide to conquering the 0500 First Language English exam! Whether you’re a student or a teacher, we are confident that you’ll find some value here. The materials on this site will break down the IGCSE First Language English curriculum for you, offer you some helpful tips, […]

Descriptive Essay Composition Bank Updated! (16th April, 2024)

Dear all, The Descriptive essay compilation has been updated! These feature essays from the May/June 2023 Descriptive Essay questions. They were fun to write, and I hope you’ll enjoy them! Want to gain the exact examples you need for that A*? Sign up for a Premium membership so that you […]

Eid Mubarak! (2024)

Eid Mubarak and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all of you out there who celebrate! I’ve already wished some of you personally, but I hope that you will have a most blessed celebration together with your friends, family, and everyone dear! As we mark the culmination of Ramadan with the […]

Narrative Essay Composition Bank Updated! (9th April, 2024)

Dear all, The Narrative essay compilation has been updated! Want to gain the exact examples you need for that A*? Sign up for a Premium membership so that you don’t miss out, today! V. We hope you enjoyed these essays! If you want to join our IGCSE First Language English […]

Last-Minute Exam Tips For First Language English

Exactly one month remains between now and the IGCSE first language English exams for May 2024. Meanwhile, I’m sure that all of you out there are casually preparing. So here I am today with a couple of handy exam tips to remember as you go into exams! Let’s begin! Tip […]

Descriptive Essay Composition Bank Updated! (2nd April, 2024)

Dear all, Two new essays for you right out of the oven! Want to gain the exact examples you need for that A*? Sign up for a Premium membership so that you don’t miss out, today! V. We hope you enjoyed these essays! If you want to join our IGCSE […]

Narrative Essay Composition Bank Updated! (26th March, 2024)

Insert/edit link.

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content

• On the Border
• ABC-7 Alert Center
• Military-Fort Bliss
• Watch a Newscast
• ABC-7 StormTrack Doppler
• El Paso Chihuahuas
• Watch Locomotive FC
• Texas Politics
• New Mexico Politics
• Watch Live Events
• Borderland Crimes Podcast
• Community Champions
• Borderland Experts
• Good Vibes Only
• Sunday Funday
• Entertainment
• Events Calendar
• KVIA Careers
• Borderland Careers
• Contact KVIA
• People of ABC-7
• Closed Captioning
• EEO Public Filing
• FCC Public File
• KVIA Jobs and Internships
• Download Our Apps
• History of KVIA ABC-7
• TV Listings

El Paso therapist could win $60k from Barclays to expand practice

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Cristal Acosta, founder of Clarity Counseling , is currently a finalist for $60,000 of prize money focused on supporting her business plans to expand mental health support in the Borderland. If she wins the grand prize — she plans to expand her business in El Paso.

The money is coming from Barclays US Consumer Bank's "Small Business Big Wins" promotion.

To even be considered, Acosta had to submit an essay describing how her business has worked through the changes to the economy, and how it works within the community.

Clarity Counseling Consultation and Wellness has been offering support virtually since COVID, and Acosta plans to expand the operation to a physical space — with additional staff — if she wins the grand prize.

Over 4,500 people applied for the program, and now it's down to the Top 10, with a winner announced next month.

Clarity Counseling focuses on trauma-sensitive care and other holistic approaches to treatment, and is based in El Paso. Acosta is a liscensed professional counselor, and says she has always been focused on providing support to her home community.

Acosta tells ABC-7 that no matter where she places, she will get some monetary support. The grand prize is $60,000. Second, $40,000, third place receives $20,000 and the remaining runner-ups receive $5,000 each.

Right now, the public can review the pitches from the Top 10 finalists, and vote for which businesses they like the most . The winners will be announced after the first of May, and around National Small Business Week.

In a statement, Angelo Disperati of Barclays US Consumer Bank said that over the past few years, the winning businesses "view giving back to the community as the right thing to do and one of the most important ingredients to success."

Avery Martinez covers mental health in the Borderland as part of ABC-7’s Be Mindful initiative. He is also a Report for America corps member. RFA places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms like ABC-7’s to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up .

Jump to comments ↓

Avery Martinez

Related articles.

911 call details moments after fatal Mesilla shooting

Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs visits El Paso, discussing immigration and honors nearly five years since Walmart shooting

Man accused of murdering wife in Mesilla indicted, held in jail without bond

Rio Bosque Wetlands Park concerned after proposed TxDOT Border Highway

KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here .