Leaping Over Life's Lines

In a valley far away there once lived an old deer full of regrets. The valley was a beautiful vast place where the deer herd she belonged to would leave every spring with their fawns and return during winter to have new fawns.

The old deer never left the valley, even when she was just a fawn and her whole herd left, she decided to stay, she was too scared to leave. But there were times in her life when her curiosity got the best of her and she finally mustered up some courage to try to leave.

An example of one of those situations was when she was five years old, she wanted to learn to swim. If she learned to swim, she could cross the river on the northern side of the valley where no deer had ever gone to explore before. She would be the first deer there and finally she would be the one sharing stories with other deer about the places she had seen and not the other way around.

While the deer was sitting on the river bank staring at the river trying to figure out how deep it was, a fish appeared. The fish asked the deer if she could swim, and if not, the fish offered to teach her how to swim. At that moment, the deer changed her mind and replied, “No, I don’t want to. It’s no use. I’m too old to learn how to swim.” The fish just smiled and went on its way, but the deer stayed in the valley.

Again five years passed and the deer was now ten years old. Now she wished to learn how to jump really high so she could jump over the rocks that were on the southern side of the valley. The deer searched the valley and once she found the rabbit she asked him how he was able to jump so high. The rabbit offered to train the deer if she wouldn’t harm him, but just as they were about to start the lesson, the deer said that she was too old to actually jump so high. So she decided not to learn to jump but still let the rabbit go.

Again another five years passed and the deer was now fifteen years old. For her fifteenth birthday, she decided to learn how to navigate the rugged terrain so she would be able to explore the hills on the east side of the valley and see what was beyond them. She started walking at the foothold of the hills when she noticed a wild goat climbing with ease. The wild goat also noticed the deer and went to her and asked if she would like to learn to navigate the hills. But the deer again went against her first wishes and answered that she was too old to learn how to climb.

Now another five years have passed and as she was twenty years old, she wished to cross the river. She sat down on the riverbank waiting for someone to come that could teach her how to swim across. After a while, she said to herself, “Ah, I’m too old for this anyway, this is just a waste of time.” And that was the last time the deer thought of trying anything new. From then on, she just walked around the valley a bit and watched how others lived their lives. If anybody asked her if she would like to join in doing something with them, she would always reply, “I’m too old to do that.” And so it was until she died.

This story made me sit back and wonder about the many “I am too old” excuses that hold us back from exploring our potential. A sharp contrast to this tale is the journey of those who have the courage to try something new without considering age a barrier - one such remarkable journey is that of Kavitha Garla .

My friend Kavitha Garla ’s journey is an inspiration when it comes to pursuing passion. At an age when many might think it’s too late to start something new, Kavitha decided to follow her heart.

Just before her 50th birthday, she decided to begin modelling. Not only has she modelled for coveted brands like Taneira, but she has also given an impactful TED Talk about her journey.

What has driven Kavitha’s continuous reinvention is her threefold formula: asking for help, embracing failure, and exploring life. She has also become the voice of inspiration, support, and encouragement, helping others around her overcome self-doubt and take bold steps towards their dreams.

“I am a firm believer that age is just a number. When you put your mind to something, you can achieve it!” - Kavitha Garla

Kavitha’s story challenges us to rethink our own limits about age. She is someone who is constantly reinventing herself.

?So, what do we do when we hear ourselves or others say, "too old"?

Perhaps some questions to ask are:

• Is this truly what I believe, or is it social conditioning?
• Am I scared of failing?
• Will I regret not trying?

I would love to hear your experiences with the “too old” mindset.

What are some instances where you have broken the "too old" barrier?

References :

https://purposefocuscommitment.com

https://kavinspire.wordpress.com