Never too Late

When I was in my mid 30s, I began to feel that a lot more can be achieved in life. I had been a constant learner, an eternal student of life. I took my master’s degree 10 years after my bachelor’s degree. I worked for a few years, got married, had two kids and then decided to enroll for my Masters. I started working again shortly after that. While I thoroughly enjoyed my work, I still felt a gap in my level of satisfaction. 

I felt I hadn’t done enough and there was more to do in life. 

In this blog I am exploring the eternal learning capacity of human beings, the ability to derive satisfaction by stepping into new environments and doing new things. We'll also explore the science behind why age is not a hindrance in this.

• The story that changed my perspective

• My personal learning path

• Understanding Neuroplasticity

• It's never too late to start again

• Closing

The story that changed my perspective

During this time, I came across this article in The Hindu about a 75 yo man who had his first solo exhibition of his paintings. The paintings were pretty nice and much lauded in the article. But what caught my attention was his story. 

Born in a family with not much means, he went to a local school. Although as a kid he showed great promise in drawing the family did not think much about it, since money was scarce. He had a fairly predictable life as he had planned - a degree after his schooling and then a government job until his retirement. In the meantime, he got married, had two children, educated them and married them off. 

After retirement, he did not think much about life. He just planned to live a “retired life" until he died. He expected his health to fail and thought he would die in the next decade or so, like his parents who passed in their late 60s. But with every passing year he found that his health was satisfactory and his mental agility was good. On his 70th birthday, for the first time he felt that he had wasted precious years. 

A decade had gone by without him doing anything different. Although the thought of painting came to his mind many times, he brushed it aside, thinking he was too old. Unexpectedly he found that a young neighbour who had moved in recently was an art teacher. Soon he started the first lessons in painting and the artist in him began to shine bright. It didn't take him much to curate a presentable collection for his solo exhibition. 

My personal learning path

This story reassured me that I had my entire life ahead of me. In the two decades that followed I began to learn diverse forms of art - from Past Life Regression to water-birthing, pottery to soap making, salsa to singing, writing to curating workshops - to name a few. Some certified, others casual. Some I practiced regularly, others I dabbled with occasionally. 

What stood out during this time is that despite difficulties and disruptions that popped up in life every now and then, there was a steady internal movement and growth happening in my life. I never shied away from being the oldest member of a class. Very often I was the youngest at heart!

Everything that I learned and practiced brought out a wholesome outlook to life. While some of them helped make a living, others helped understand me more. Some helped in calming my nervous system and others brought out hidden talents. 

No matter what I did, the things that I did from my heart kept me satisfied with life. I wasn't doing it for money. I didn’t do it to put up a show. I didn't do it for appreciation or approval. I did them because I felt so in tune with myself while I was doing it. These activities were my devotion to life.

Understanding Neuroplasticity

Its never too late to start, because your mind is ready to grow and life is ready to meet you there.

A year ago, I read more about the phenomenon called Neuroplasticity. I understood this as the brain's remarkable ability to adapt to new information, form memories, and even recover from damage, like stroke. I am enumerating a few key points that I found amazing, from the learning perspective. 

1. Its common belief that the adult brain is rigid and cannot be changed. But research shows that it is capable of change throughout life.

2. The brain can form new synaptic connections, strengthen existing ones and prune unused paths.

3. If one area of the brain is damaged other areas can adapt and take over.

4. Learning new skills, environmental enrichment, meditation and exercise promote positive neuroplasticity.

5. Deep sleep is crucial for consolidating the neural changes that drive learning and skill acquisition. 

What makes it difficult for the adult brain to change is the belief that age declines our cognitive abilities. This is far from the truth. Our inclination to familiarity and conforming is the true reason. As a society we have not been taught to be comfortable with being different. Hence, we try to stay within accepted parameters of social behaviours. 

Understanding neuroplasticity helped me see my journey in a completely new light. 

The brain does not just change through effort - it changes through experiences that carry meaning. When we engage in something with curiosity, presence and emotional involvement, the brain forms stronger and more lasting neural pathways. What we repeat with attention becomes who we are - whether positive or negative. 

This made me reflect on the way I had been learning all these years. I wasn’t chasing outcomes. I wasn’t learning to make money or get a job. I was immersed in the process and derived satisfaction from each of them. No pressure to perform, only a willingness to experience. 

This is where Neuroplasticity meets a wholesome way of living. 

It's never too late to start again

The only thing that matters is your willingness and curiosity.

Learning even after your youth keeps the mind in a balanced state. There is a child-like curiosity needed to learn and learning keeps this curiosity alive. There is an equality that we see among our peers and a beautiful respect for a young teacher who knows something more than you. A learning space is a safe place to let your ego down. 

The mistakes that we make is a fertile ground for self-love and self-assurance. There is no learning without mistakes. It is the mistakes and the repetitions that make us master the art. Each time we attempt something new, fail, reflect and try again, the brain refines its pathways. When this path is held with gentleness rather than criticism, the nervous system remains relaxed making learning deeper and more sustainable. A newfound softness emerges that we never had during our early learning days.

It is not our age; it is our willingness to try new things - a different way of thinking, a skill or a language - that foster our ability to adapt to new environments. How we see ourselves helps us to pursue our dreams with our natural passion. It is not difficult to see ourselves as a child ready to explore the wonders of this world. I invite you to look at your reflection in the mirror in this way. 

When we approach life with openness instead of rigidity, with curiosity instead of fear, and with devotion instead of obligation, we are creating the ideal conditions for the brain to rewire itself. Learning becomes more embodied than mechanical.

In that sense, a soulful life is not separate from science - both are aligned with each other. It allows the brain to remain adaptable, the mind to remain curious, and the self to continue evolving. 

Closing 

With this attitude we may not have a life where it peaks and then falls. We can continue to peak until our last breath. Life is not a performance but can be a gentle learning and building of skills and talents that help us emerge as a wholesome soulful individual. 

A rich life is not about doing more or earning more, but engaging soulfully in everything we do. Not only does our life expand but our brain evolves with it. We are quite literally shaped by the way we choose to live, every day. 

If you set aside age, fear and expectations, what are you ready to begin today, simply because you want to?