Yesterday, an envelope arrived that stopped me in my tracks. Inside was something I never expected when I made the terrifying decision to go back to school in my 40s: my Golden Key International Honour Society certificate.
I’m still processing it, honestly. And yes, I cried. Happy tears, proud tears, “I can’t believe this is real” tears.
The Scary Beginning
Let me take you back to where this journey started. Going back to school in your 40s isn’t just about cracking open textbooks again, it’s about cracking open your entire sense of who you are and what you’re capable of. The voice in my head wasn’t exactly cheerful: “You’re too old for this.” “Everyone will be smarter than you.” “What if you can’t keep up?” “Who do you think you are?” “What are you trying to prove?”
But I did it anyway. Because sometimes courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s feeling the fear and choosing growth over safety. Oftentimes my motto is “do it afraid”. Sometimes we have to feel the fear and do it anyway.
When One Challenge Becomes Two
Just when I thought I had my bearings, life threw another curveball: we decided to move to a new city, and I had to transfer schools. If starting over academically felt daunting, starting over socially and geographically felt nearly impossible.
New professors, new classmates, new systems, new expectations, new everything. Our entire family was adjusting—new schools for the kids, new community to build.
There were nights I questioned everything. Was I being selfish pursuing this dream? Was the upheaval worth it? Was I setting myself up for failure?
The Adjustment Year
Last year tested us in ways I didn’t anticipate. Beyond the academic challenges, there was the emotional labor of helping our family navigate change while I was navigating my own transformation. Some days I felt like I was drowning in assignments while trying to be present for my family’s needs.
But here’s what I learned about growth: it’s messy, it’s uncomfortable, and it rarely happens in isolation. My family watched me struggle and persist. They saw me doubt myself and then show up anyway. They witnessed firsthand what it looks like to choose courage over comfort.
The Moment Everything Shifted
Somewhere in the middle of that chaotic year, something shifted. I stopped seeing myself as “the old student” and started seeing myself as exactly where I needed to be. My life experience became an asset, not a liability. My questions in class came from real-world application, not just theoretical understanding.
I began contributing in and out of school with confidence I didn’t know I had. Slowly, I started believing in myself again, for the first time in a long time.
Recognition I Never Saw Coming
Which brings me to yesterday’s mail. Recognition for academic excellence that I honestly never imagined would have my name on it.
I’m not sharing this to boast. I’m sharing it because I know there’s someone reading this who’s standing at their own edge, wondering if they’re too old, too late, too anything to chase what calls to them.
The Dean of 2021 vs. Today
When I think about who I was in 2021. uncertain, scared, convinced I was “too late” for big dreams, I almost can’t believe we’re the same person. Not because I’ve become someone entirely different, but because I’ve become who I always was underneath the fear.
That Dean was capable of this achievement then, just like you’re capable of whatever growth is calling you now. The only difference is that this Dean believed it was possible and took the first scary step.
What This Means for You
Here’s what I want you to know: your timeline doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Your version of going back to school might be literally going back to school, or it might be starting that business, changing careers, ending that relationship that’s not serving you, finally writing that book, stepping onto stage to share your story, the possibilities are endless.
The fear you feel? It’s not a stop sign. It’s information. It’s your psyche’s way of saying, “This matters to you.”
The voice that says you’re too old, too late, too inexperienced? That’s not wisdom talking. That’s fear dressed up as protection.
Growth Happens in Community
One of the most beautiful parts of this journey has been realizing I didn’t have to do it alone. My family adapted and supported. New friends emerged in unexpected places. Professors and colleagues became mentors. And through it all, I was modeling for my children that it’s never too late to grow.
This honour society invitation isn’t just mine, it belongs to everyone who cheered me on, challenged me to keep going, and held space for my growth even when it was inconvenient.
Your Invitation to Growth
As I write this, that certificate sits on my desk as a tangible reminder that courage pays off, that growth is always possible, and that our capacity for achievement often exceeds our wildest imagination.
So here’s my question for you: What envelope do you want to receive a year from now? What achievement do you want to be celebrating? What version of yourself are you ready to grow into?
The path might be scary. The adjustment might be messy. But on the other side of that fear? There’s a you that you haven’t met yet, and they’re absolutely worth the journey.
Ready to EQUIP yourself for your next chapter? Sometimes the first step is just believing it’s possible.
What’s one brave step you’ve been avoiding? I’d love to hear about it, and cheer you on as you take it.
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