Embracing Your Own Timeline: The Beauty of Being a Late Bloomer

Ever wondered what it takes to embrace being a late bloomer and still achieve your dreams? Join me on this heartfelt episode of "andrea TLC" as I share my personal journey of self-discovery and growth. Reflecting on pivotal moments in my life, I discuss the struggle of comparing myself to others and the realization that everyone's path is unique. From feeling behind as I approached 30 to learning to appreciate my own timeline, this episode is a raw and honest testament to the importance of valuing your own journey, no matter where you are starting from.

This episode also takes you through a vulnerable period where a single negative comment led me to step back from the podcast for a whole year. I open up about the impact of that moment and how I eventually found the strength to return to something I love. Through this experience, I've learned powerful lessons about resilience, self-worth, and the immense value of positive encouragement. If you’re feeling discouraged or questioning your path, my story is a reminder to keep pushing forward. Your dreams are valid, and it's never too late to pursue them.

Thank you for listening!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hello and welcome to my podcast, andrea TLC, in which
TLC stands for the Life Coach.
I am your host, andrea.
Thank you for joining me heretoday.
Today's episode is going to bea little different than usual
because I have no notes.
Today I just really wanted tocome on here and say thank you,

(00:35):
everyone that is listening to mypodcast.
I wanted to say how much Ireally appreciate you all
listening and I hope that youall are finding value in my
podcast.
I wanted to be very, verytransparent, the best way that I

(00:57):
know how, because, again, thisis not just something that I
want for you all, I want thisfor myself as well.
So this is a journey that Imyself is also taking or have
taken, and I don't really feelcomfortable trying to give
advice to someone that I myselfhaven't done myself.

(01:25):
So, yes, I have struggled, Ihave went through some of these
struggles that I talk about, andso, years and years ago,
someone done it for me and justreally wanted me to find value

(01:47):
within myself, and she did thatfor me.
I was about I want to say maybeabout 27, 28 years old.
I said it was years ago, y'all,but yeah, the closest or the
closer that I started to get toage 30, I started to think what

(02:12):
have I done as far as beingsuccessful?
And at that time, I just feltlike I hadn't done anything and
everybody around me was doingbig things.
At that time, I had justrecently went to college and,

(02:35):
you know, everybody else, aroundme, you know, went to college
like right out, or went tocollege like right after high
school.
Okay, something that I didn'tdo Should have done, you know,
but at the same time, lookingback, that just was not my path

(03:00):
at that time, okay, and so I hadto learn to appreciate what I
have come and where I was set tobe going.
Okay, everyone's path is notmeant to be the same, and you're
not meant to go the same places, but at the same time, you're
not.
It's not beneficial for you tobeat yourself up, okay, just

(03:26):
know that you are enough.
You are talented, ok, and youhave big dreams and goals, like
everyone else, and if that'swhat you desire, or whatever it
is that you desire, you shouldset forth in doing that.

(03:47):
Ok, it doesn't matter that youdidn't start when everyone else
started.
If that is the case, you knowthat may not be your situation
or your case or whatever.
You know, if you have doneeverything in order and in

(04:09):
rights or whatever.
Well, you know, this particularmessage is it may not be for
you, okay, because I'm talkingto those who feel like they have
failed, and I'm here to saythat you haven't.
I didn't fail.

(04:29):
I may have been a late bloomer,but I wouldn't not now say that
I failed, okay, before.
Like I said, that was many,many, many, many, many years ago
.
We're not talking about many,many, many years ago anymore.
I'm talking about me right now.
Me right now.

(04:50):
I feel like I'm in the placewhere I'm supposed to be and I
think that I want to share thatwith someone else.
Okay, so there was a questionthat was asked as to what

(05:11):
happened.
Like, I started my podcast andthen I just I went missing for
about a year, and so I do wantto apologize for that, because I
did have people who werelistening to my podcast and I
lost sight of that Over onecomment and yes, it was one

(05:32):
comment, and I love readingy'all's comments Fan mail or
whatever you want to call itBecause they were so encouraging
and positive and it made mefeel as though that encouraged
me.
Let me say it that way, itencouraged me to want to do more

(05:53):
.
It encouraged me to want to domore, but I got one comment that
just really was questioning whoI am and why do I think I
deserve to do what I do.
And you know, I deleted it andI started second guessing myself

(06:17):
.
Don't ever do that.
That's like one of the worstthings you can do is just start
overthinking and second guessingyourself or whatever.
If you're doing something andit's positive and it's helping
someone, well then, continue todo that.

(06:39):
Okay, I just felt like I shouldnot have let that one comment
determine what I do and how I doit, or if I should be doing it.
No one else felt that way, andyou're going to have these

(07:01):
people that are just, no matterwhat you do, what you say or
whatever, there's always goingto be that somebody.
Right, that's just negative,right, that's just negative.

(07:22):
Um, they don't care to improvethemselves and so, therefore,
they don't care to see anyoneelse improve themselves and they
, they spread that out.
And you know, and I don't know,maybe it gives them joy to see
other people down, or whatever.
I, I don't know, maybe it givesthem joy to see other people
down or whatever, I don't know,and there was just too many
people that were just telling methat I should not have given up

(07:50):
on someone that was actuallylistening to my podcast, and for
that I want to apologize.
For that, okay, because this isnot why I started my podcast.
I started my podcast so thatyou all can feel like you can

(08:13):
live the best life, and if Ihave some tips and some advice
that is valuable for you all,then that's what I should be
doing is spreading positivity,ok.
So again, this is not just ajourney for you, for anyone
that's listening, it's also ajourney for me as well.

(08:35):
And so, yeah, I want to be thatvoice that you know is very
encouraging, and so that we canjust move on, okay, and so that
we can just move on, okay.
And again, this is why I havenotes, because I will take you

(08:59):
to the forest and then aroundthe corner and back again, and
that's not what I want to do.
I just wanted to, I really justwanted to come on here and say
thank you all who are listeningto my podcast, and I really,
really appreciate you all.
I love y'all and, with thatbeing said, until next time.

(09:36):
Peace, love and light.