Comet Nwosu: Is it Truly Better Late Than Never?

Many of us have heard the saying “better late than never” and used it in various aspects of life. However, we rarely sit down to scrutinise what it truly means and the significance of the word “better”.

It is easy to presume that if something occurs late, it was not meant to be. As humans, we tend to conform to societal norms and strive to be prompt and flawless. However, we must remember that everyone’s destiny and life accomplishments happen on different timelines. What may seem delayed for one person could be the perfect timing for another.

It takes a lot of courage to push through and pursue what we want even when time seems to be against us. How do we build our courage or guts to go for what we want, even though time seems to be against us? To do this, we need to define what “time” means in this context.

There’s time for everything. It can be divided into two aspects: regular time for being somewhere or doing something, and the time when we draw a line as to how far we can go from a certain place. Achieving things during regular time often leads to the latter, which is the destined time.

We frequently restrict ourselves due to self-imposed pressure and deadlines, creating a mental roadmap that hinders us from reaching our full potential. In this case, we become afraid of doing or pushing further in life. We succumb, surrender, and sometimes, totally give up. Now while these endings may seem unpleasant, giving up shouldn’t be an option for you when you still have a lot you feel and know in your heart has to be accomplished. My father would say, “You’re not done until you’ve accomplished your dreams/goals”. And it’s true. No matter how much we convince ourselves we’ve thrown in the towel, we still hold on. Well, maybe not so tightly which is good on its own. We should not abandon our wishes when there is still so much left to achieve. Our intuition is powerful enough to motivate us to keep going.

Believing that we are going somewhere and that we are capable of accomplishing our objectives strengthens our courage. It makes us realise that the journey hasn’t come to an end. Identifying our type of life growth, skills, raw talent, and passion in life enables us to define ourselves and keep moving forward, regardless of how late it may seem.

Preparing for the worst outcome also strengthens our courage. We need to have faith that everything happens for a reason and that even if we have to go through pain to achieve our goals, it will ultimately elevate us. Just because something did not go your way doesn’t mean it’s a negative plan. Therefore, having faith that things will go well, but getting prepared for the antithetical result, is what builds our courage to move.

Many of us miss out on opportunities due to the pressure surrounding time. I’m almost starting to deny my son some similar privileges because of this. However, time is an illusion that we create. We can pursue our wishes at any age, and it is never too late to start. Today is still a “once upon a time” that can lead to great things in the future. It is better to pursue our wishes late than never.

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