As I was reorganizing my bookshelves I came across the book “Life is So Good” by George Dawson – it is a truly inspiring autobiography of a black man from the South, who shares in his book a whole century of incredibly interesting and moving observations.
Instead of writing about it, I decided to make a video for my YouTube channel. Here it is…
For those who prefer reading or would like to follow along, I’ve included a transcript of the video below.
Hey there, my friends art lovers! Today, I want to share with you an amazing tale of transformation, inspiration, and perseverance. I think it will resonate with many of you.
As I was reorganizing my bookshelves I came across the book “Life is So Good” by George Dawson – it is a truly inspiring autobiography of a black man from the South, who shares in his book a whole century of incredibly interesting and moving observations.
So, to begin imagine this…
The author of the book couldn’t read until he was 98 years old. Yes, you heard that right – when he was 98, he still couldn’t read or write. (And some people think that starting a new career at the age 50 is too late 🙂
George Dawson was almost 100 when he decided to change his life. And oh boy, he did it. Not only did he learn how to read and write… He ended up writing a book that became a best-seller. I’m sure nobody around him, just a few months earlier, would believe that he could write a book.
He didn’t know the alphabet and couldn’t even sign his name – instead of a signature, he used to put a big cross on documents.
But at the age of 98, George Dawson decided to change his life – with the help of a recruiter at his local library, he began his education and learned to read.
When he started to learn, he underwent a true metamorphosis – he gained a whole new perspective on life and his world changed completely. It was no longer just about being able to sign his name or to read the newspaper. Once he started reading, he couldn’t stop.
George passed away at the age of 103, but in those last five years, he became an inspiration to thousands of people and even sort of a celebrity – he appeared on various TV programs, at some point even was featured by Oprah, and he left behind a legacy that will last for generations.
Today, he’s the patron of a high school… and there is even a monument that has been erected in his honor… with his motto “it’s never too late for change”
His story, of course, is a fantastic reminder that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself and you are never too old to chase your dreams.
Whether it’s picking up a paintbrush for the first time or taking your art to the next level, the key is to be willing to embrace new perspectives.
Ask yourself:
Who do I admire? What traits do they possess that I can emulate? For me, the list is quite long… it’s someone like David Bowie, who was a master of reinvention and continuously pushed the boundaries of his artistic expression… Or Helen Mirren, who has aged oh so gracefully and maintained a successful career throughout the years or painter David Hockney, who has continually evolved as an artist and never stopped exploring new techniques and mediums, with relentless curiosity and dedication… and then there is Madonna – the singer. Every few years, she changes her style not only on stage but also in life. I’m fascinated by her courage to blaze new trails, disregarding critics.
Or someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Like him or not, he had amazing reinventions so far: first he transformed himself from a bodybuilder amateur into the most recognizable professional bodybuilder in the world, then he became one of the most successful actors in Hollywood. Then he transformed himself into a politician and became the governor of California.
And that was not all for him; after serving two terms as a governor, he returned to the big screen and continues to be a successful movie star at the age of 75. Not bad for a poor kid from Austria.
If you’re constantly reinventing yourself, you find yourself in a sort of another dimension, and everything you do is amplified.
It is thanks to this rapid development that George Dawson was able to accomplish so much in just a few years – during such a transition to a new way of thinking, our world changes completely.
You too can have extraordinary results multiplied like yeast – both in your personal and professional life.
When your perspective, from which you look at your life and the world around you, changes – you see everything differently.
And then you are not only improving yourself, not just acquiring new skills. You change your thinking perspective – and that can cause dizzying results.
George Dawson’s example clearly shows that his transformation wasn’t just about learning to read and write, no no no. He awakened in himself a hunger for knowledge.
And that’s how, from an old illiterate man, he became a bestselling author – with two honorary doctorates on top of that.
Please remember that you too can have such a transformation.
In today’s world, things change so quickly that we need this kind of transformation. So, dare yourself and keep in mind that it all starts with just a thought.
With the idea.
So, embrace the idea of reinventing yourself and don’t be afraid of the changes that come with it.
I hope that I have infected you with the idea of this reinvention. It is a great way to live. I know because I constantly reinvent myself. George Eliot once said, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
So, let’s get out there and chase our dreams, because the only time it’s too late is after we’re gone.
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