Motivation at Any Age

So, I was recently asked to model lingerie for a Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser and while I was there, I was fortunate enough to meet a very inspirational woman. This lady, let’s call her Sheila, was also modeling and somehow Jon and I began talking to her about her career path and life. It seems that at around 40, she had gone through a tough divorce and had to transition from being a full-time mom to the full-time supporter of her children.
When she went for career guidance and divulged that she had always wanted to get into fitness, she was shot down, told that fitness was a young person’s game and was guided toward social work. Believing that the individual dispensing advice couldn’t possibly be wrong, Sheila went ahead and worked hard to earn her certificate for social work and when we met her, was diligently looking for a position.
I’m still not sure how we got into these topics, I think we started out by talking about her 16 year old son and his interest in boxing (funny how conversations lead you into unexpected areas..) Anyway, Jon and I were both appalled to hear that this woman was trying valiantly to put aside her own ideas of a great career and conform to someone else’s ideas of a successful career option. After much discussion, we were able to convince Sheila that fitness was an attainable goal for everyone, in every walk of life and if that is true, then fitness professionals should come from every walk of life, not just ripped 20-somethings or knowledgeable thirty-something’s.
During the conversation we were able to point out that her recent education wouldn’t necessarily have to go to waste. Sheila lives in a rural area of Ontario where being a regular personal trainer may not make sense financially, but she can look at filling a niche for the individuals who live in rural areas but are perhaps not as mobile. She can work with families and groups in mid-low income areas live healthier lives while also helping them get their career choices in order.
Sheila seemed amazed that not everyone agreed that there should be an age limit for fitness professionals. To my way of thinking, I would much rather have a fit person training me, whether they are 25 or 64 as opposed to some of those ‘Master Trainers’ you see eating donuts and trying to hide their beer bellies under lose fitting athletic shirts.
If anyone at any age can get fit and change their lives, then why can’t there be a trainer at any age who can share their inspirational story?
I’ve considered this a lot recently, as I get a little older, I remember how I used to look at my mid-twenties and feel that if I hadn’t made some major decisions and started along my final career path, I would be a failure. Luckily, I get to meet amazing people like Sheila who remind me that you can have, do or be anything you want, at any age!
People used to have one-two careers in a lifetime, today, the average person goes through five different careers in their lifetime. I figure if I am already heading down my first career path, I must at least have SOMETHING working…right?
So don’t stress…your life can change at any time and with that, your goals may change, and that’s ok. I intend to mess up a number of times in the next few years, let alone in the next few decades and if I can’t pick up and start again, I’d be in deep trouble…but then again, so would millions of people. Didn’t Ben Franklin mess up thousands of experiments before finally getting some electricity into that key? If he’s allowed, then so are we, and I wish ‘Sheila’ all the best. Jon and I send her our love and encouragement, she is an amazing woman and all she needs to do is remember that!