It is never too late...

Here's a quote that I've been looking at and pondering since May 3 (the day it came up on my Daily SparkPeople.com inspirational calendar):

It is never too late to be what you might have been. -George Eliot

I'm not sure why George's quote has captured my attention, but I find myself thinking about it quite often, and wondering what it means. To be candid and very practical, it is too late for certain things to happen in my life...like becoming a professional athlete, or becoming President of the United States... So, what does it mean then, to say it is not too late to be what I might have been?

Could it be that the quote is talking about the inner person, rather than the exterior accomplishments? At it's core, I like the quote because it effectively snaps me out of complacency...you probably know what I mean...it's very easy to get into a rut with our lives...to quit growing and learning...to give up trying and experiencing new things and knowing new people.

Who are you...really? Are you the sum of what you've done? A reflection of those you have known and who have known you? Underneath the exterior, at the heart of things, who is the person you might have been?

In team sports, coaches periodically take players out of the game for a rest...but until the clock reaches 00:00, it's never too late to put the player back in for a few more plays. Even if you've been sitting on the bench for awhile, taking a breather, remember that it's not too late to get back in the game and be the person you know you can be.