These so-called late bloomers will inspire you to live life at your own pace.
– KEYS SOULCARE
By society’s definition, a late bloomer is a “someone who becomes successful, attractive, [and the like] at a later time in life than other people” — achieving milestones that are culturally acceptable or astonishing at a younger age, including marriage, buying a home, landing a high-paying or “respectable” job, and more.
While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with hitting goals and exceeding expectations at a younger age, it’s equally acceptable to do the same when you’re older. In fact, being a “late bloomer” has been the preferred way to achieve (and sustain) personal fulfillment and redefine success since the dawn of time.
Here’s proof that it’s never “too late” to create your most authentic, passionate life — right from the people who have lived in their truth.
Following your dreams
Known as the “gentlest person on the internet,” vegan TikTok phenom Tabitha Brown stole the hearts of millions with her coined phrases. (Our faves? “That’s your business!” and “Like so, like that!”) Despite her current success, America’s favorite internet mom pursued her dream of acting and fame for over 20 years before garnering national praise. It wasn’t until 2017 — when she was 38 years old and sitting in a Whole Foods parking lot recording her now viral video — that things took off for the southern starlet. The “momfluencer” is in full bloom these days with nearly five million followers, new book deals, and numerous brand partnerships under her belt — with no signs of slowing down in sight. The key to her success? Faith and persistence, according to Brown in a recent Time interview. “I pursued a dream for over 20 years, and it was not successful for the majority, but I never stopped because the faith inside of me said something greater is coming.”
Intimacy on your own terms
When it comes to sex, love, and relationships, we’re often inudated with glorified hypersexuality from an early age. Virginity, as we have been taught in the western world, is a thing of the past — a sign of unattractiveness, lack of maturity or progressiveness, and generally socially unacceptable. “I think everyone has their own path and their own way to live — and I think there’s also a society that pressures you into doing things you’re not fully comfortable with or [when] you don’t even fully know yourself,” Grey, 24, is one half the queer TikTok duo that is @OfficiallyVeryGay, shared her thoughts on being a later-in-life virgin in her early twenties, during their StyleLikeU interview. Grey went on to say, “I’m not the type of person who’s going to sleep with a whole bunch of people — I’m way too sensitive. My heart is way too invested.” Her beau, Grayson expressed his unwavering support for relinquishing sexual pressure, expectations, and “rules” to heal and prevent trauma. “You don’t have to have sex to be cool, to be relevant, to be queer, to be anything,” Grayson added, making this pair #RelationshipGoals in our book.
Mastering a new skill
Julia Child once said, “I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.” Julia was larger than life in the culinary world, standing at six feet tall with an uncanny sense of humor. The icon and chef not only made herstory as a Pasadena native tackling French cuisine across American television screens, but she also took on fine dining in a male-dominated, exclusive world and made gourmet accessible to homecooks. Despite her privileged life and education, Julia still struggled to find her passion with failed attempts of becoming a novelist. After years of having meals catered and cooked for her, Julia fell in love with learning the skill for herself before building her famous legacy at 36. It wasn’t all smooth sailing though — Julia struggled to find support for her vision to merge French cooking and American culture. She spent ten years perfecting a cookbook that was promptly rejected by the contracted publisher and was overall seen as a “madwoman” for her ambition. Despite it all, Julia spent four decades making people laugh and cook — and continues to be an inspiration to those creating a new path.
Who’s your late-blooming inspo? What have you achieved later in life? Share in the comments!
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