A New Year

The month of February ushered in my 57th birthday. It's hard to believe I actually just typed that number — it feels surreal. It seems like I was just twenty-five yesterday; time moves rapidly. I mean, over 40 years ago I was traveling with the Ringling Brothers circus. That time feels like it was yesterday in some ways, yet in other ways it seems like a lifetime away. I have changed in many ways since then. I married and raised a family, built a long career in leadership within the hospitality industry, then shifted careers in my late 40s to become a teacher and child advocate. I went to seminary (I thought I was going to be a pastor), traveled and spoke at many Christian conferences across the country, and later became a behavior therapist.

I am actually graduating from Purdue University this May with a Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis (basically I study human behavior and the environment in which particular behavior takes place, change the environment to help reshape the behavior), and I feel very grateful for the unexpected paths my life has taken so far.

I have learned so much in this short but rapid lifetime on this planet. I’ve discovered that each passing year brings meaningful change into our lives, especially when we remain open and ready to receive it. We grow and evolve; we learn, and our brain’s synapses are continually reshaping. New neural pathways form that lead to fresh feelings, identities, thoughts, and behavior patterns as the years go by. Each new age is an invitation to see things differently — to open yourself up to change, to repaint the canvas of your life, to restart where needed, and to reset your outlook and intentions.

My 50s have been years in which I’ve been able to recalibrate myself, my trajectory, and my vision. I’ve learned to hold close things that others might judge as immature because they help define who I am as a person. I’ve also learned to release what no longer aligns with the person I’ve grown to be, making room for continued growth and clearer priorities.

Here are 5 takeaways that I leave you with:

1. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself.
   A life can hold many careers, identities, and purposes. Changing direction — even in your 40s, 50s, or beyond — isn’t falling behind, it’s growing forward.

2. Growth requires openness.
   Meaningful change happens when we stay willing to learn, adapt, and receive new opportunities instead of clinging to who we used to be.

3. Your past doesn’t limit your future — it prepares it.
   Every role (parent, leader, student, teacher, therapist) becomes part of a larger story that equips you for the next chapter.

4. Your brain and identity are always evolving.
   Just as neural pathways reshape over time, your beliefs, goals, and purpose can also be rewritten — transformation is biologically and personally natural.

5. Life is a canvas, not a script.
   You are allowed to repaint, reset, and begin again as many times as needed; fulfillment comes from continuously creating, not staying fixed.

Best Life Foward,

Tony