It’s Never Too Late to Have an Original Thought.
We often believe originality belongs to the young—that brilliance is a spark that ignites early and fades into the steady glow of routine. But that’s a myth. Some of the most groundbreaking ideas are born not from inexperience but from a deep well of it.
Your brain is never finished. Its ability to reshape itself—its neuroplasticity—remains, a quiet potential always waiting. What often fades isn’t the capacity but the compulsion to adapt. Life grows comfortable. We rely on mental shortcuts to get us through the day. (Why experience something new for lunch when we already know what we like)
An original thought doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s a new connection between old memories. It’s a novel solution born from your unique, accumulated library of experiences. No one else has your library. This means your potential for a truly original combination is, in fact, greater now than ever.
The barrier to originality isn’t age. It’s comfort.
· An original thought doesn’t come easily; it comes from a struggle.
· It’s a new question that challenges an old assumption. (Remember, everything is connected)
· Example: Colonel Sanders was in his 60s when he looked at his failed restaurant and his fried chicken recipe and asked a new question: “What if I franchise this?” That original thought, born from decades of cooking, built KFC.
· Example: Vera Wang was a 40-year-old fashion editor before she questioned the design of wedding dresses. Her frustration as a bride led her to learn a new craft and ultimately build a global empire, revolutionizing bridal wear.
· A new skill that forces your brain out of its grooves.
· Example: Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses) began her prolific painting career in her late 70s out of necessity because arthritis made her unable to embroider. She taught herself a new art form and became a celebrated folk artist.
· Example: Ray Kroc was in his 50s, a milkshake mixer salesman, when he immersed himself in the new skill of scalable operations. He applied this fresh perspective to a small burger joint called McDonald’s, creating the model for modern fast food.
· A new perspective from someone who sees the world differently.
· Example: Charles Darwin spent decades building his library of observations from his travels. His original theory of natural selection didn’t fully click until he was 50, after reading economist Thomas Malthus’s perspective on population growth. An old idea in a different field gave him the new connection he needed.
· Example: Julia Child didn’t even learn to cook until she was in her 30s, living in France. She was nearly 50 when she published Mastering the Art of French Cooking, introducing a completely new, fearless perspective on French cuisine to American home cooks.
It’s never too late to be a creator because the raw material for originality—a lifetime of experience—only gets richer. The only thing required is the decision to look at it from a new angle.
So disrupt your routine. Challenge a belief. Be a beginner again.
Your most original thought may not be behind you. It might be waiting for you to have the courage to think it today.
