The Best Time to Give Up!

When I began writing, my intention was to get published by 21, be a bestseller writer by 25 and worldly renowned before hitting 30 - Yes, I was and still am an overly enthusiastic dreamer :). There was a sense of urgency for me to get these things done by the ages I’d set. I’m not quite sure why I was determined to follow that timeline. Maybe because I wanted to be as young as possible when it all came to pass. However, none of those things have happened on the scale I planned and there are times when I feel like I’ve fallen short of my expectations of myself but the truth is your dreams don’t have an expiry date (culled from Susan Boyle). Just because you haven’t achieved them by the time you set for yourself doesn’t mean you give up on them. I came across a truly inspirational story last week that drove this point home perfectly: -

Japanese woman is bestselling poet – aged 99

 

Toyo Shibata only started writing when she was 92; now, as she prepares to celebrate her 100th birthday, her poems are finding an eager audience in Japan as it reels from two decades of economic malaise and faces up to an uncertain future. Shibata's anthology, Kujikenaide [Don't Lose Heart], has sold 1.5m copies since its publication, in late 2009. The self-published collection of 42 poems is proving literary balm to a country confronted with economic decline and questions over how to fund welfare and pensions for the growing population of over-65s. The book has been the most popular title on Japan's keenly watched Oricon chart for the past two weeks and was among the 10 most popular titles of last year. After recording impressive early sales, the book was taken on by the publisher Asuka Shinsha and reissued, with new artwork, last spring. Read Full Story Here.

The story pretty much sums it up - the best time to give up on your dreams is never, as long as there's breath in your body.