Nurturing Sweet Time

Time will start to move too fast, the time is now, my friends, I'm a long way from the start, but further from the end - Sir Elton John/Tim Rice/Lebo M (2019) The Lion King Soundtrack

Have you ever ended up in a place where you first started something? It's a unique place where you can transport yourself back in time. The other week I was picking up my daughter in Toronto, and I drove by that exact place. I parked my car and for a brief moment, I saw my 19 year old self taking in that moment. She was acknowledging the visualization she had done to be standing there. A brief moment of certainty at a young age. As she looked behind her I shouted, ‘You got this!’ She smiled at me, turned back, and started walking down the University campus with wonder and excitement. Does she know how far she will go? The circle of life continues as I drive my daughter off to university this September.

She’s off to find that place of wonderment to return to one day. As September rolls around in Toronto, organizers are getting ready to welcome Industry and Press Delegates from around the world at the Toronto International Film Festival, better known as TIFF. It’s a time to honor and promote stories that entertain us, inspire us, and in many cases make a lasting global impact. It’s a celebration of work visualized and brought to life on a screen for cinema enthusiasts to indulge, connect, and converse. From beginning to end, filmmakers produce their screenplays with assembled cast and crews. I think back to some magical memories as I return back into the film industry. Listening to Norm Jewison’s voice say ‘action’ as his energy is transported to the actor's performance.

Standing beside Liza Minelli before she went on stage at a fundraiser or taping out floor plans for director Sidney Lumet. I think of my conversations with Al Waxman, knowing he saw my light stronger in me, than I saw in myself at that age. With all my steps in 30 years, the middle-aged woman who was shouting out her car window is now doing something twice in a lifetime. It’s a rekindled light, through my creator, this time around. TIFF delegates and attendees await the 2024 World Premiere, ‘Elton John: Never Too Late’ co-directed by R.J Cutler and David Furnish. The title mirrors the upbeat, inspirational music he wrote and performed for the musical ‘The Lion King’. It speaks to the verve of inner courage and maturing into our natural born role, no matter what force tries to get in our way.

A strong energy that takes ‘tire’ out of retirement. As the spotlight is getting brighter on well-being, so is the realization that age is really just a number. CBC Docs POV recently aired 'Never Too Old’, giving viewers a look into the life of today’s older generation. It sends a powerful message that generational collaboration is contributing to emotional well-being and confirms the mindset shift in ageism has finally started happening. They are impacting future government legislation for the next generations to benefit from. Their program, ‘The Nature of Things - Aging Well Suzuki Style’ examines AI technology on an aging body with an entertaining spin on David Sizuki’s life and present-day potential. It’s never too late to discover your new potential! It’s never too late in life to make a personal vision a reality. The older you get, the less time is needed for magic to happen. You don’t need a lot of numbers, you need the right number. And finding that number has nothing to do with growing your business, as it does with facing any neglected fear. Fear has a low vibe, not you. I recently shared with someone that work-life flow is not something I find, rather it’s something that comes to me. It’s something I’ll never actually be able to find, because it’s bigger than me. I trust my internal compass and this alone brings opportunity…aka flow. I consider it a cousin to my creator - universal cousin Flo.

What’s the biggest relational tool to help make this happen in your lifetime? Business or personal, it’s never too late to be accountable to yourself and then others. Nurturing time and being accountable for our health, well-being, and long-term relationships is the script of life. AI and social media make it easier than ever to connect and collaborate with other generations in all genres. I recently interviewed Weight Loss Dietitian and Mindset Coach Leah Van Dolder on accountability. She explains, ‘Accountability to self is very powerful. I find it is more powerful than motivation because motivation is so transient. Self-accountability means you do what you say you’re going to do, especially when you don’t feel like doing it. I really value that integrity because I think that’s something our world is losing. Our word doesn't mean much anymore. And to me, it does. It’s the next generation of trailblazers like Leah who are helping us set a new standard at any age. It’s never too late to make a small change or a big change in your life. It’s never too late to accomplish new goals and step into a leadership role. It’s never too late to join a collaboration that will shape the present and foresight for thriving communities and generations to come. It’s never too late to be accountable to your passions, dreams, and desires. It’s never too late to go to a place in time where you once heard, ‘You got this!’.

Never Too Late : Film Version Never Too Late to redirect the light.

Never Too Late to rework the scenario.

Never Too Late to make a cameo.

Never Too Late for a new lens.

Never Too Late to greenlight your vision.

Never Too Late for continuity. Never Too Late for a second take.

Never Too Late to change the plot.

Never Too Late to work an angle.

Never Too Late to add a filter.

Never Too Late for atmosphere.

Never Too Late for deep focus.

Never Too Late to take a leap to above the line.

Never Too Late to take credit.

Never Too Late for a reshoot

Leah VanDolder is an award winning Registered Dietitian and Mindset Coach. Follow Leah on Instagram for healthy lifestyle tips @leahvandolder For more information on her program visit www.leahvandolder.com

Ginny Connon is a Well-Being Influencer, Podcaster and a member of the Director’s Guild of Canada. Listen to Ginny Connon’s Nurturing on Apple Podcasts. Visit www.ginnyconnon.com to find previous articles, podcasts, links to upcoming events.