So You Think It’s Too Late for You?

In 1977, a 63-year-old woman named Laura Schultz lifted the back end of a Buick off her grandson’s arm. Now, if that sentence alone doesn’t shake up your belief system, let’s go a little deeper.

Laura had never lifted anything heavier than a 50-pound bag of pet food. Yet, when faced with an emergency, she tapped into a strength she didn’t even know she had. When Dr. Charles Garfield, the author of Peak Performance, interviewed her, she was reluctant to talk about it. Not because she wasn’t proud, but because it made her question everything she thought she knew about herself.

“If I was able to do this when I didn’t think I could, what does that say about the rest of my life? Have I wasted it?” she asked.

Hits deep, doesn’t it?

Thankfully, Laura didn’t let that realization paralyze her. Instead, she decided to chase a lifelong dream. She had always loved geology but never had the chance to study it because her family could only afford to send one child to college and that child was her brother. With encouragement, she went back to school at 63, got a degree, and eventually became a professor.

Laura thought she had already lived most of her life, but in reality, she had an entirely new chapter waiting for her, one she never imagined possible.

And that’s where so many of us find ourselves, isn’t it?

I once had a client say something that broke my heart: “I haven’t become more than I was—I’ve become less.”

Her story is all too common. A bright, ambitious woman with endless potential, weighed down not by a car but by expectations, responsibilities, and the slow erosion of self. Life happened—marriage, kids, caregiving, work—and somewhere along the way, she stopped being the main character in her own story. And then one day, she woke up and realized she didn’t recognize herself anymore.

That sinking feeling of time lost is heavy. But just like Laura Shultz, we all have a choice. We can mourn the years, or we can reclaim them. It’s never too late.

To start over. To rediscover yourself. To become the personal you were always meant to be. If you’re feeling lost, like you’ve somehow shrunk into a smaller version of yourself, here’s what you can do to start finding your way back:

1. Ask for Help Ask for help: Look around you. Who can help you figure this out? Turn to your friends, family, well-wishers.

   
   

2. Stay Vulnerable Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. You don’t need to have the answers or know what you exactly need. At this point, just stay vulnerable.

   
   

3. Be Open to PossibilitiesWhen you turn to someone, you are likely to get some advice on what the next steps would be. If you say ‘no’ or ‘this will not work’ for everything, they might give up because they feel you don’t really need the help.

   
   

When you're ready to move forward, don’t chase a full life overhaul; that’s just overwhelm in disguise. Instead, focus on the smallest action you can take today. One tiny moment of courage. Because becoming more isn’t about giant, dramatic leaps. It’s about reclaiming yourself, one small step at a time. And what you’ll get back? Not just more. Abundance. You.

So, is it too late? Not even close. But if you need a partner on this journey, book your free Discover call at Kasturi Joglekar | Confidence Coach