Not Too Late to Act On Your Dream

So is my word that goes out from my mouth — it will not return to me unfulfilled; but it will accomplish what I intend, and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”
Isaiah 55:11 CJB

In the past two years, the world has pretty much recovered from the trauma of the COVID pandemic. Most people don’t wear masks, restaurants are open, and family and friends can gather once more and exchange hugs. These are external signs of recovery. But, what about internal and personal changes that are not visible and have not recovered? What about the dreams some of us weren’t able to fulfill because the world shut down during the pandemic?

Maybe your dream goes back further than that, but you’ve yet to bring it to reality. Do you answer the poet Langston Hughes’ question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” with the words: “Nothing. It’s too late. My time has passed”?

From Deferred to Reality

Nope, that does not have to be your final answer. Certainly, there are dreams that are not meant to come to life. They are fun to imagine, yet whimsical and short-lived. Then there are the dreams that come from God—at any age—that are meant to be fulfilled. These are the dreams that are meant to succeed regardless of how old the dreamer was when she or he believed that they could live their dream and then began to take action. These dreams give our lives purpose and when we have purpose our lives have more meaning.

Do you answer the poet Langston Hughes’ question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” with the words: “Nothing. It’s too late. My time has passed”?

What began as a question for my friends about their dreams soon developed into this article, written to inspire anyone with a “deferred” dream to take steps to make that dream a reality. My research took me to articles about older adults (in the third third of life) tackling new projects, completing degrees, and making life changes. I was excited. These stories demonstrate that taking action moves a dream from deferred to reality.

One of my favorite Biblical figures is one I didn’t fully appreciate until I became older. The story of Nehemiah has become a call to action when I want to make changes in my life. He doesn’t have the charisma of David, the fiery spirit of Paul, or the colorful nature of Peter. But his story is a powerful testimony to the power of prayer and community support to make the dream God placed in his heart become reality. Nehemiah confesses, “I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 2:12b)” He rebuilt the walls surrounding Jerusalem and succeeded, despite having enemies who tried to sabotage his efforts. He rallied support for his plan and worked with his supporters to accomplish their common goal. Through Nehemiah’s faith in God and his passion for his mission, he persisted and fulfilled what God equipped him to do.

I extend an invitation to you in the third third of your life to have a dream; that is, to do what gives your life joy and meaning.  Richard Johnson, director of the Program on Retirement Policy at the Urban Institute, reports that “The aging of America . . . is not the crisis often portrayed in the media and even some scholarly papers.” Instead, he says, “it represents an enormous opportunity because seniors are healthier, better educated, and more productive than ever.” I hope just reading that will encourage you to continue living your dream or to begin a new dream. Also, these years, I call them bonus years (years beyond 60), are an opportunity to excavate the possibilities that reside in each of us.

I extend an invitation to you in the third third of your life to have a dream; that is, do what gives your life joy and meaning.

Stories to Inspire Your Dreams

“You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis

Because dreams need help to flourish, let me offer you more stories. But these stories are personal because they are written by my friends. I interviewed a few people close to me and asked what their dreams were. They are all in their bonus years and are a mix of retired, still employed, or praying for discernment for what their third third dream will be. I am proud of their authentic responses, which reflect what gives their lives meaning.

These stories are meant to inspire you to revive any deferred dreams you may have or create new dreams that align with who you are now. You have a dream and whether your dream is realized or not, holding your dream as a precious memory (not a failed goal) enhances your well-being as you age. Research finds that having a purpose improves well-being in older adults; I suggest the same is true for having a dream.

Pamela

I spent my teen years on Chicago’s South Side reading romance magazines while watching my parents live out their real-life love story.

I always followed my dream in my career choices. I spent over twenty successful years in advertising. Next, I opened my own business, organizing and decorating homes to create sanctuaries for busy professionals. I learned a lot about people—their personal needs, as well as their desires for peaceful, welcoming spaces.

My business gave me a front-row view of how people lived and loved, which led me to study the magic of relationships. I learned that there were some universal themes that bring people together and drive them apart. Now, in the third third of my life, I use this knowledge to live my dream of writing romance novels.

Diane

While many of my peers are putting unrequited dreams, plans, and goals to bed, my spirits are lifted each time I hear about those who are activating new dreams. I enjoy their stories of traveling to new places, participating in new experiences, moving to other countries, severing ties with unappreciative benefactors of their generosity, or taking that plunge into new romances, or new activities. Count me among this group.

I am an octogenarian in the process of fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming an entrepreneur. As a certified Loan Signing Agent, I will be providing a service to title companies and escrow officers by guiding borrowers through their home loan paperwork in an industry I have always found exciting. Did I ever give up on my dreams? I most certainly did. But thanks to the Almighty, my ancestors, great family, and friends, I am an unabashed representation of that third and fourth quarter reboot I pray is possible for us all.

Hilly

In addition to my current goal of learning how to pray with and for my children, it turns out that once upon a time I did have one of those big world-changing dreams.

I was born in Los Angeles and started preaching there at the age of seven, mentored by my pastor father. I also started acting at a young age in community theater. Those two threads formed the basis of my professional life.

I started my professional acting career during college and continued for the next 18 years. I played roles in many TV and film productions including M*A*S*H*, That’s My Mama, Good Times, Hill Street Blues, Roots, Barnaby Jones, and others. After college, I went to seminary to prepare professionally for a career in ministry. Early on, I had a vision of fusing my love for acting and theater together with ministry.  As an actor and pastor, I had a driving purpose: I wanted to humanize the image of black men in media and help Americans to see each other as human beings to mend the torn fabric of human society.

In 1986 I accepted an offer to go to Nashville, TN to host a cable TV show for the United Methodist Church (“Catch the Spirit”). My plan was to stay there for five years and then return to L.A. to pursue my big dream in Hollywood. It didn’t work out that way. I loved my work in Nashville and ended up staying for twenty-two years!

I finally came back to L.A. in 2008, still holding on to fragments of the dream. But I was appointed as pastor to a series of churches in L.A. and in San Bernardino. When I retired in 2017, I thought that might be the time.  But within a couple of years, my dear wife became very ill, and I became her full-time caregiver until her passing in 2023.

Kassie

I did not want to provide you just my dream, but the spirituality and readings that power the optimism and the faith of my dreams that will ensure it happens! It is easy to state a dream but much more complicated to hold fast to the dream and believe that it will happen.

My dream is that the ADC, African Diaspora Consortium, will reach its fullest global potential, exceed expectations, and that the outcomes of the work will uplift all it touches.

Two of the books that power my optimism and faith are The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) and  The Purpose Driven Life (Rick Warren).  In The Purpose Driven Life, Warren states, “Real meaning and significance come from understanding and fulfilling God’s purposes for putting us on earth.” In The Alchemist, the storyteller instructed the young man seeking wisdom by using the example of a man who settled down and did not continue his dream of seeing the world, he explained, “He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”

These quotes are the very essence of my optimism and faith! There is no set time when our dreams can and should come about. If we settle like the man did in not continuing his dream, it limits every possibility. However, if we continue despite challenges and obstacles, God will be with us and lead and guide us to reach our dream, our purpose—whatever we name it!

I do not feel any boundaries to my possibilities because I know God will pick me up when I misstep, stumble, fall, or when others attempt to challenge my dream. My age is not a barrier, as the Bible is filled with examples of people at every age achieving their potential, their purpose, their dreams!

Conclusion

My friends’ stories are offered to you as reminders that:

• Your dream may evolve over the years. “Goal adjustment capacity” is the ability to disengage from goals that are no longer meaningful and to reengage with goals that are relevant in the present.
• In the midst of transition, stillness may provide the space to hear God’s dream. During times of grief, uncertainty, and change, God invites us in Psalm 46 to be still and renew in the presence of God.
• God can bring to life whatever is dormant and use it for your flourishing. A dormant dream can be revived through faith and action.

Additional Resources

• Next Avenue, whose tagline is “Meeting the needs and unleashing the potential of older Americans through media.” This Next Avenue article, What’s Holding Us Back from Encore Careers? might be a place to start.
• In Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life,  (Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D.) Cohen highlights the strengths that come with aging.
• Charles Garfield, author of Our Wisdom Years: Growing Older with Joy, Fulfillment, Resilience, and No Regrets, invites us to consult three “inner advisers” who help uncover “What genuinely matters to me?”
• Wish of a Lifetime. AARP has joined forces with the charity Wish of a Lifetime to help older adults fulfill their lifelong dreams.