I’ve always been a sucker for a good quote. You know, those little nuggets of wisdom that make you go “huh, never thought of it that way.” So, I stumbled across this quote from John Barrymore recently and it caused me to sit down reflect a bit. The quote is: “A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” I’ve been mulling it over for days now and figured I’d share my thoughts with y’all.
So here’s the thing — I love how this quote totally flips our usual thinking about aging. We’re always obsessing over gray hairs and wrinkles (guilty as charged, I check for new ones EVERY morning), but Barrymore is saying that getting older isn’t really about your birthday candles or crow’s feet. It’s about what’s happening in your head and heart.
I mean, think about it. We all know that one 74-year-old who’s taking up skateboarding or planning their next adventure, right? And then there’s that 25-year-old colleague who’s already given up on their passion because “it’s too late” or “what’s the point?” According to Barrymore’s logic, guess which one is actually “older”?
Last weekend, my neighbor Ted (who just turned 81!) told me he’s taking up oil painting. Meanwhile, I’ve spent THREE DAYS putting off learning how to make sourdough bread because “I should have started years ago.” Talk about a reality check!
What I find super interesting about this quote is how it connects to our mental state. When we’re dreaming up new possibilities, our brains are literally working differently than when we’re dwelling on regrets.
I’ve been trying to apply this to my own life lately. Instead of thinking “I wish I had traveled more in my 20s and 30s,” I’m shifting to “Where do I want to go next?” It seems simple, but wow, it changes EVERYTHING about how I feel.
I’m curious – where in your life have regrets started creeping in? And more importantly, what dreams can you dust off and put back on the shelf where they belong?
(P.S. Starting next week, I’m finally getting back to learning the piano, something I dropped quite awhile ago. Never too old, right? Drop a comment if you want updates on my inevitable finger blisters!)