Being Called A Late Bloomer Is The Best Compliment Ever

Growing up I was not one of the cool kids. I didn’t have the latest clothes, my parents were fairly strict (translation I didn’t get to do a lot of things that the other kids did) and we moved every 3 years because my Dad was in the military. Making friends was not always easy.

I definitely didn’t have “it” whatever it was. So I spent a lot of time either comparing myself to others (and coming up short) or trying to hide in the background.

Every now and then I would have someone; a coach, a teacher, a friend who would see something in me and try to coax it out, but it took a long time for me to see it on my own.

So I did what any nervous, shy person would do and went into real estate. Starting up conversations with strangers, asking for the sale, creating a marketing plan to stay in touch. Sounds like the perfect fit, right?

Okay, maybe not initially, but I did it and I kept at it. There have been many tears shed along the way as I worried that I didn’t have what it takes, but there have been many triumphs too. One of the biggest is learning to be:

Comfortable in my own skin.

Being comfortable in your own skin, means truly knowing who you are and treating yourself with grace and humor. Knowing what makes you beautiful and strong and what your flaws are too. There is often great beauty and humor in your flaws, even if they annoy your spouse every now and then.

Here are a few tips to get you there:

• Don’t give up and accept the self image you formed years ago that says you can’t or that you’re not worthy or good enough.
• You need an awesome sense of humor. You can’t be comfortable in your own skin if you can’t laugh at yourself and some of the things that happen in life so if you don’t have one, get one.
• Be willing to be vulnerable and ask for help. No one is good at everything. Give yourself the grace of allowing others to help you.
• Be willing to learn and grow. I can think of nothing worse than if someone said that I was exactly the same as I was in high school. While there is nothing wrong with who I was, a lot of time has passed. I would like to think I’ve grown and evolved since then.

Sometimes it feels like I have taken the long road to get where I am, but it means I’ve been there. I know what its like to go through rough stuff and it gives me compassion for others as they go through it too.

It has also taught me the value of choice. The choices we make each day impact our future more than we realize. You, and only you are in charge of your future.

I recently did a fashion show for the local Aston Martin dealer and Via Lago, the store where I buy most of my clothes. Doing a fashion show is pretty fun all on it’s own, but doing it with cars was incredible. Especially Aston Martins.

During the event, I ran into some friends that I hadn’t seen in over 15 years! It was really fun to catch up with them. One of them made the comment to me “isn’t it fun to be a late bloomer?”

It caught me off guard for a moment, but then I realized it’s probably the best compliment I have ever received. He’s right. It did take me a while, but I’m here, and I would not have changed the road I took for anything. Now I’m looking forward to where the road leads me next.

So wherever you are in your life, I encourage you to be a late bloomer too. Keep growing and evolving. Make each day better than the one before.

To your success!