Five Reasons to Unearth Your Dreams in your Fifties

By Anita Agers-Brooks –

I grew up in a house full of artists. Mediocre they are not. My mom, my sisters, my brother – they could sketch, paint, sculpt, or whittle anything. And then there’s me.

I am a cliché who can’t draw a stick person – literally.

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In junior high, I tried art class. And though I’m not a quitter by nature, within days I begged to drop the class. My teacher didn’t argue.

Then Mom decided to teach me how to draw. She said, “You just aren’t applying yourself. It’s easy. You need to put more effort into it. You can do it if you try.”

I ended up running away in tears. She ended up exasperated.

She didn’t understand how hard it was for me. And she didn’t realize how bad I felt. I proved a failure as an artist, and felt like an outsider in my own family.

As an adult, I tried to bury my inadequacy in the brambles of childhood memories. While my own children grew, we bonded through family game nights.

Then Pictionary came on the scene. If you wanted belly laughs, just invite me to play.

“That’s supposed to be a cat? I thought it was a gorilla.”

“Are you sure that’s a building?”

Time passed, and I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ. Reading the Bible, I panicked to discover I was supposed to have a gift or talent to invest. Yikes! Maybe more than one.

“Talent? You didn’t give me one of those,” I whined.

But I couldn’t escape the sense I had an empty place a purpose should fill.

Once again, I felt like the kid who couldn’t draw. Then, God pinged me in a light bulb moment. It dawned on me that several family members, many friends, and at every job, someone asked me to write something for them.

All these years, my talent lay right in front of me. I could paint pictures with words. But couldn’t everyone?

As a child, I’d dreamed of becoming a writer. One of my teachers told me I had a gift, and encouraged me to pursue it. But in my focus on what I couldn’t do, a fear of failure caused me to lose sight of my abilities.

I convinced myself the talent wasn’t anything special. I assumed anyone could write poetry, draft a business letter, or spin a story.

Then the conviction started. Matthew 25:26 kept popping up – in books, on the radio, at church – everywhere I turned, the words, “You wicked, lazy servant!” haunted me.

But, I had another problem. My age. I’d wasted so many years. My education and experience weren’t related to a serious pursuit of writing. So what could I do?

Then one day, as I cried over the passage in Matthew, I noticed something. A hidden gem nestled among the heap of accusation, spotlighting my fears. I’d mounded excuses like dirt, and Jesus wasn’t letting me get away with it.

I cleared the haze of tears from my eyes, and refocused on Matthew 25:27. “Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers …,”

I asked God, “Who are the bankers you want me to invest with?” Then I posted the question on my refrigerator, and began to pray over it.

Eventually, the answers started coming. I invested in books, classes, conferences, and specific people God sent to guide me.

And I learned your fifties are a perfect time to unearth your dreams.

Why? Here are five reasons to begin now:

  1. You survived adversity, overcame your fears, and faced your past.
  2. You’ve developed tools from life experience to dig with.
  3. Your talents are refined.
  4. You’ve learned to invest wisely.
  5. You know how to serve well.

Today, the results of my investments are paying off. I’m working on a second book proposal, while my agent sells the first. I’ve written articles for magazines, and on the web. The interest is compounding, while I teach others the lessons I’ve learned.

Too many people focus on what they can’t do, and miss special God-given abilities. As a Certified Personality Trainer, I know we have different strengths and weaknesses. Don’t compare yourself to someone with a different set of genes.

What about you? Is there something you take for granted? A gift hidden in the brambles of your younger years?

Ask yourself, “What comes so natural that I barely notice?”

I encourage you to get out the shovel and dig. God wants you to unearth His talent – and invest in His kingdom. The time to start is now. Take courage, and dare to dream again at fifty, or beyond. It’s never too late for a fresh start with fresh faith.

 

Anita Agers-Brooks shares God’s message as a Certified Personality Trainer, Business Coach, Certified Team Training Facilitator, public speaker, and writer. She lives in Missouri with her husband Ricky, and is the mother of two grown sons, with two beautiful grandchildren. Contact her via website http://www.freshstartfreshfaith.org/ or email anita.freshfaith@gmail.com.

2 thoughts on “Five Reasons to Unearth Your Dreams in your Fifties”

  1. Great article, Anita! I began pursuing my dreams or writing in my forties. One major lesson I learned, sometimes ya gotta “do it afraid.” I HAD to face my fears to go forward. Now (in my fifties), I’m with right there with you: “I’m working on a second book proposal, while my agent sells the first. I’ve written articles for magazines, and on the web.”

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Five Reasons to Unearth Your Dreams in your Fifties
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