'[As] long as you are breathing, you can pivot': Commenters share inspiring stories about changing careers later in life

JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor

Feb 6, 2024 11:00 AM EST

Making a change can be terrifying. We're creatures of habit. A lot of us like to keep things on a pretty even keel most of the time, the same breakfast, the same friends, the same career. Change can also be terribly exciting. The idea of walking away from everything and starting over is thrilling. We get so locked in on one track we imagine for ourselves. We study something, start a job, and get attached to one path.

But we forget that we can do literally whatever we want. You can quit your job. You can move across the country. And you can do this at any point in your life. Sure, it gets a little more complicated with kids and family, but there are plenty of people who do it. But sometimes we need a little encouragement, and it can come in the form of strangers on the internet.