DREAMS DON’T HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Les Brown
I was fortunate enough to attend a one-day seminar in Florida where Les Brown was one of the speakers. If you have ever heard Les speak, you know that he has a wonderful way of combining motivation, wisdom and humor. He can have you laughing one minute and examining your entire life the next. During the seminar, he shared a story that has stayed with me.
He was rushing to catch a plane and, in all the commotion, did not realize that he had boarded with his zipper unzipped. After takeoff, he got up to go to the restroom and noticed people smiling at him. Some were even giggling. Being the well-known motivational speaker that he is, he assumed people recognized him and were happy to see him. Then he got to the restroom and discovered the real reason for all that attention. At that moment, he had a choice. He could walk back to his seat embarrassed, avoiding eye contact and imagining what everyone was thinking about him. Or he could simply zip up, hold his head high, smile at the people he passed and continue with his life. He chose the latter.
It sounds like such a simple story, but there is a beautiful lesson in it. How much of our lives do we spend worrying about what other people think of us? We make a mistake. We say the wrong thing. We stumble. We make a choice that doesn't work out. We look foolish. Something doesn't go according to plan, and suddenly our human brain wants to turn one uncomfortable moment into a full-length feature film. The truth is, most people are not thinking about our mistakes nearly as much as we imagine they are. They have their own lives, their own struggles, their own unzipped zippers to deal with!
Maybe one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves as we grow older is learning to lighten up. We have come too far to allow a small stumble to determine how we see ourselves. We have survived too much to surrender our dreams because someone might criticize us. We have learned too much to allow another person's opinion to become the measuring stick for our worth.
Les Brown knew something about overcoming labels. As a child, he was labeled “educable mentally retarded” in school. Imagine what might have happened had he accepted that label as the final truth about who he was and what he could accomplish. Thankfully, a teacher challenged that belief and gave him words that would help change the direction of his life: “Someone else's opinion of you does not have to become your reality.” What powerful words. How many labels have we accepted throughout our lives?
Too old.
Too inexperienced.
Too poor.
Too late.
Not educated enough.
Not talented enough.
Not spiritual enough.
Not good enough.
Who decided that? Certainly not God. I believe we are here to continually unfold into greater expressions of the Divine love that created us. As long as there is breath in our bodies, there is an opportunity to learn something new, love more deeply, serve in a greater way, set another goal and dream another dream. Age does not disqualify us from purpose. Sometimes age prepares us for it. The years behind us are not simply numbers on a calendar. They contain wisdom, lessons, heartbreaks, victories, mistakes, adventures, relationships and experiences. Every one of them has helped shape the person standing here today.
Perhaps the dream calling to you now could not have been fulfilled twenty years ago because you were not yet the person you needed to become in order to carry it. Think about that. What if you are not late at all? What if everything you have experienced has been preparing you for what comes next? There is no expiration date stamped on your dreams. There is no heavenly memo that says, “Sorry, you missed your chance.” If something is stirring in your heart, pay attention.
Write the book.
Take the trip.
Start the business.
Learn to paint.
Take the class.
Begin the ministry.
Make the phone call.
Dance.
Sing.
Love again.
Serve.
Create.
Dream.
And if you stumble along the way, straighten yourself up, smile and keep walking. You have come too far to allow a moment of embarrassment, someone else's opinion, or a number on your birthday cake to decide what happens next.
Dear Angels, how do we find the courage to dream new dreams when we feel that perhaps our time has passed?
Dear Ones, your time has not passed. Your time is now. You look upon your years and sometimes see them as evidence of what is behind you. We invite you instead to see them as preparation for what is before you. Every experience has added something to your soul's journey. Nothing has been wasted. The roads that seemed to lead nowhere taught you discernment. The doors that closed redirected your steps. The times you stumbled taught you compassion. The dreams that did not manifest created space for dreams more aligned with the person you were becoming.
Do not measure your possibilities by the calendar. Spirit does not count candles on a cake. Spirit sees the light within you. There are dreams still waiting for your yes. There are people you have not yet met whose lives may be touched by something you have not yet created. There are places your feet have not yet walked, words your heart has not yet spoken and love you have not yet shared.
Do not allow the opinions of others to become the boundaries of your life. And do not allow your own old opinions about yourself to become boundaries either. Release the labels. Release the timeline. Release the need to have everything figured out. Ask instead, “What is calling me now?” Then listen. When the answer comes, take one step. You do not need to see the entire road. You only need enough courage for the next step. And should you stumble, Dear Ones, remember to laugh. Life was never meant to be lived with such seriousness that you forget the joy of being here.
Dream again.
Begin again.
Believe again.
We are walking with you.
And so it is.
Angels Whisper: You are not too old, and it is not too late. The years behind you have not diminished your possibilities; they have prepared you for them. Release the labels, laugh at the stumbles and listen to what your heart is asking of you now. There is still more life to live, more love to give and more dreams waiting for your yes.
Today, I promise to live my dream.
Teri Angel is a Joy Guide, Happiness Coach, energy healer, best-selling author, spiritual teacher, mentor, and inspirational speaker devoted to awakening peace within the human heart. As an International Peace Ambassador and founder of the nonprofit Angelspeakers Inc., Teri creates transformative workshops, sacred gatherings, and global initiatives that honor environmental stewardship, animal advocacy, peace consciousness, and the integration of ancient wisdom teachings into modern life.
Through her worldwide movement, Peas For Peace, Teri invites humanity to remember our divine interconnectedness—strengthening awareness of our oneness and inspiring unity through compassion, love, joy, and intentional action. During the Peace On Earth Tour, she was honored with the sacred name “She Who Blesses the Sacred Land,” a title she carries with humility and heartfelt grace as she continues blessing lands and waters around the world.
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To book a private session with Teri, visit https://angelspeakers.com
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