If someone had told me decades ago that I would feel more alive, more curious, and more creatively on fire at 79, I’m not sure I would have believed them.

But here I am. Still blooming. Still dreaming. Still learning. Still becoming. And yes, I’m still wondering what else I want to be when I grow up.

In just a few short weeks, I’ll be turning 79, and today, no matter what age you are, my heart’s desire is to speak directly to you and to share what I have learned so far.

It’s not easy to walk your own tender path through this complex and often overwhelming world, and if something I say gives you more strength, more self-belief, and more courage to keep going, then I’ve lived one of my higher purposes.

To you, who sometimes wonders if you’re already behind.

To you, who carries the weight of expectations that don’t even belong to you.

To you, who scrolls through everyone else’s highlight reels and questions your own unfolding.

Let me share something I wish someone had whispered into my younger heart: You are not behind, and you are not broken.

You are unfolding, and step-by-step, you are becoming the magnificent light of who you are meant to be.

You don’t need to have your life figured out perfectly, or at all. You don’t need a 10-year plan, a perfect résumé, or a flawless relationship.

Your life is not a race. It’s a garden. And you, my friend, are still blooming.

Trust your own pace and be gentle with yourself.

Purpose doesn’t always arrive as a lightning bolt. Sometimes it’s a whisper in the quiet, a tug in your chest, or a flicker of curiosity that won’t go away.

If you’re feeling impatient, be gentle with yourself. The answers will come in sacred and surprising ways. Trust in the mystical magic of the unknown, the unplanned, and the unnamed. You never know what will happen when you least expect it.

A Healing Affirmation for Aging:

I don’t have to rush.
I don’t have to know everything.
I am allowed to bloom at my own pace.

A Glimpse into my Life Story:

I remember being just five years old when I heard an inner voice I couldn’t explain. It told me that I was here to create healing music, write soul-stirring words, and use my open heart to reach the restless and weary places inside others.

I was also here to connect people with people in one global community of love, to encourage a kinder energy field for humanity, and to spark the vibration of peace.

That’s a tall order for a little girl. There were times when it felt confusing. Even a burden. But that inner whisper never left me.

It carried me through grief, reinvention, doubt, and creative rebirth, pouring itself into every song, every performance, every book, every article, every uplifting podcast, every video, every meditation, every class, every life I’ve coached.

Even now, it pulses through everything I create, not because I have all the answers, but because I’ve never stopped listening to my highest intuition and the whispers of the universe.

And these precious whispers live inside you, too.

Clear your long to-do list and create a more open and uncluttered space in your mind. Invite more moments of silence, and without self-created pressure and heavy expectations, allow your butterfly spirit to guide you toward passionate visions, projects, dreams, and goals.

You don’t need to prove your worth through perfection or productivity.

You don’t need to earn love.

You don’t need to be further along than you are.

Your greatest gifts will rise from your losses, rejections, heartbreaks, and traumas. The places you had assumed were your breaking points may become a transformational life compass that leads you toward finding your life callings and higher purposes.

From Pain to Purpose:

If you’ve been hurt, bullied, misunderstood, judged, rejected, or made to feel “less than,” you’re not alone. As a child, I was bullied for being part of a minority religion. I felt like I didn’t belong, and honestly, there are still times when I feel like an outsider.

But something sacred began to bloom from those wounds. Instead of closing off, something in me opened. Instead of turning bitter, I turned toward love.

My deep pain became the seeds of my life’s passion to help people shift how we love, how we treat each other, and how we live.

A Shadow and Light Affirmation:

I carry strength from every sorrow.
My pain has shaped my purpose.
I am becoming more whole, not less, with every challenge and victory.

If You are Young, Old, or In-Between, Remember:

Life is not a race. You don’t “arrive.” Instead, you unfold until your last breath.

You can be a masterpiece and a work-in-progress at the same time.

You don’t have to compare your blooming to anyone else’s.

You are allowed to rest.

Your timeline may not even be yours.

One More Life Wisdom:

The breakup.
The layoff.
The trauma.
The addiction.
The illness.
The abuse.
The night you cried on the bathroom floor…

These are not failures. They are soul-forging fires.

They deepen your compassion, reshape your spirit, and form the unshakeable core of your future self.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You can pause, you can begin again, and you can validate yourself by knowing that even in times of confusion, you are enough.

To My Precious Older Ones: Let’s Reclaim Our Light.

Some people still call elderly people “over the hill,” “outdated,” “fossils,” “old fogeys,” “burdens,” and “past their prime.” We have heard it all, but I say: No More!

Let’s reclaim the radiant truth of who we really are:

Wisdom Keepers.
Memory Holders.
Truth Tellers.
Soul Stewards.
Story Carriers.
Cultural Weavers.
Spirit Anchors.
Time Travelers.
Seed Planters.
Bridge Builders.
Flame Carriers.
Hearth Tenders.

We are not invisible. We are essential.

We are not outdated.

We are the roots that hold the forest together.

We are not done.

We are still blooming.

You don’t have to pretend to be young to be radiant.

You don’t have to be productive to be powerful.

You don’t have to be perfect to be wise.

Let your years be garlands, not burdens.

Let your softness, empathy, open heart, and vulnerability be a teacher for others to model.

And if your body is slowing down…

If you are ill, grieving, or weary…

Know that you have always mattered and you matter now.

“You are enough” both in times of weakness and in times of strength. Your worth is not measured by what you can produce. You are needed. You are loved. You are here for a reason.

Let this be your season of receiving as much as giving.

A Shadow and Light Affirmation for all Wisdom Keepers:

I honor the grief in aging and the grace in growing.
My body may slow, but my spirit still soars.
I am still blooming in ways the world cannot always see.

To Every Young and Old Soul Who Reads This:

Whatever age and stage you are in, listen to your heart’s whispers, honor your intuitive calling, and follow paths that bring you joy.

You are not done.

You are blooming in your own time, in your own rhythm, in your own way, and the world needs what only you can bring.

Final Petals of Encouragement: Bonus Affirmations for Every Season of Life.

I give myself permission to rest, to rise, and to begin again.

I am still becoming. Still radiant. Still whole.

I don’t need to be young to be beautiful.

My aging is a return to the sacred.

I am allowed to love myself more now than ever before.

I carry the wisdom of the stars in my cells.

Even in my stillness, I shine.

A Love Note to My Ageless Readers:

I would love to hear from you in the comment section of Elephant Journal. How old are you? Do you struggle with the pressures of your age and all the “shoulds” that come with it?

What are your dreams? Frustrations? Hopes? Did this article give you a new perspective and more inner peace? What is one seed of truth you’ll carry close to your heart?

Final Thoughts and Feelings from your 79-Year-Old Seed Planter:

Wherever you are on your aging journey—whether you are navigating uncertainty, beginning again, or quietly evolving—please remember:

Your life is not measured by timelines, checklists, or applause.

It is measured by your willingness to show up with love, to listen to your soul, and to offer your presence as a balm in a world that forgets to pause.

Your heart still has so much to give. Your light is not fading—it’s deepening—and your being here is more than enough.

Let’s keep blooming, and let’s keep loving ourselves and each other. The world needs our stories, our lessons, our challenges, our victories, and the light that shines within every person who is young, old, and in-between.

~