We’ve all felt pressure to “succeed” by a certain age. It’s hard not to when the media prioritizes stories about entrepreneurs and celebrities who seem to have it all before they turn 30.
Thankfully, life has no deadlines when it comes to our accomplishments! Writer and TV producer Melissa Hunter gave the world the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that when she posted a unique request on Twitter: “At the end of 2020, instead of 30 Under 30 and NextGen lists, please profile middle-aged people who just got their big breaks.”
Thousands of responses poured in, and they’re incredible! Here are 20 of our favorites.
1. The woman who fulfilled her artistic dream at 60

Twitter
2. The 48-year-old with two kids and a budding business

Twitter
3. The mom who became one little boy’s world in her 50s

Twitter
4. The professional harpist who started making movies at 45

Twitter
5. The woman exploring the world in her 40s

Twitter
6. The supermom juggling parenthood, a full-time job, and two very exciting projects

Twitter
7. The brand-new therapist in her 60s who has big plans for the future

Twitter
8. The 65-year-old who left the corporate world for filmmaking

Twitter
9. The 50-year-old whose stage 4 breast cancer fueled her mission to help others

Twitter
10. The grandma with ALS who just published her first book (which she wrote with her eyes!)

Twitter
11. The 50-something who’s experiencing plenty of firsts

Twitter
12. The woman whose talent and ambition flourished after 40

Twitter
13. The 52-year-old mom and first-time author

Twitter
14. The dad who took a chance at 39 and received a Grammy nomination two years later

Twitter
15. The 53-year-old actress thriving onstage less than a year after her heart transplant

Twitter
16. The mom who earned a PhD and found her place in the academic world after 40

Twitter
17. The math whiz set to earn her doctorate in her 60s

Twitter
18. The 47-year-old author, law school student, and mom of four

Twitter
19. The man whose career change at 47 opened the door to great things

Twitter
20. The 55-year-old who found their dream job after being laid off

Twitter
If these amazing people are any indication, life only gets better! Congratulations to all of you for refusing to let anything keep you from chasing your dreams.
Share these inspiring stories today!
Share your story & inspire the world.
If you have an uplifting story we would love to hear about it! Share it with us here.
Want more good news?
Sign up for Smile, our free daily good news email with over 600,000 happy and optimistic subscribers!
Share to Give!
$18.66 raised today to provide life-changing cleft surgeries to children in need with Smile Train! Learn more here.
Share to Give!
Every time you share an article, we donate to Smile Train to help provide life-changing cleft surgeries to children in need. Spread good news, change lives! Learn more here.
$18.66 raised today!
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.