Never Too Late: Become Who You Always Thought You Were

By Tommy Hamlin

Become in all regards the person that you 

have always known yourself to be, and do not let 

fear or circumstance hold you back!

One of my favorite sayings is, "A smart person learns from their mistakes, but a genius learns from the mistakes of others." There is somet

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Aug 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890411808

Tommy Hamlin

Tom has achieved recognition in academia and professional certifications, but true-life experience has been his greatest teacher. Tom shares with the reading public the trials and tribulations that so many of us experience at some point in our lives, one way or another, and real-life examples of how to navigate through them successfully and come out the best version of yourself on the other side!

Book preview

Prologue

Honestly, this project has been a decade in the making. I first felt like God put this in my Spirit in early 2013, but I have not obeyed His prompting until now; due to an insecurity that I am not worthy to author a book or to try and help others through life’s challenges, when I have my own set of issues and imperfections. However, I remember that God qualifies the called, not calls the qualified. I also look at all the heroes in the Bible and they were such flawed individuals, which is a testament to God’s willingness to prove that greatness is in the most flawed and unworthy people, as well as an example that God has an amazing sense of humor!

My goals for this book are amazingly simple. I want this book to be an encouragement guide for all ages, have something beneficial for all readers, and to just be an instrument for God to let His words flow out of Him and onto my pages. I give Him all credit and glory for anything positive that comes from this task, and if I, with God’s help, encourage and help one individual, it is well worth any time and effort on my part. I once asked myself, Would God inconvenience me to save one soul? I then quickly remembered the parable about the ninety-nine sheep and how the shepherd left the flock to save the one lost and realized the answer will always be yes!

I would like to make a point that while this book will have religious undertones, as I try to be a Godly man and live a Godly life, by no means do I think only religious or Godly people will receive help from this book. There will be things in these chapters that will benefit and encourage anyone, with or without any religious affiliation at all.

I finish this Prologue with a prayer:

Dear Lord, may this book find the right person at the right time and have the answer needed from you, and that you will show them the path of greatness you have instore for them, and that each of them will go out and give to others to further your kingdom. May all glory and honor be unto you! Sincerely, your humble servant, Amen!

Chapter 1. The Wonder Years

Congratulations! You have made it to this thing called LIFE. I say that, because it was not a given in this world of miscarriages, accidents, abortion, etc. Therefore, it is my belief that God put you here for a purpose. Your first few years are wonderful, whether they really are or not, simply because you will not remember much of anything until you are about four or five years old. This is because God knew your parents would not doing everything right and did not want you to remember and blame them for anything, at least not until they had a chance to practice on you and figure some things out. In all sincerity, know that your mom loved you to bring you this far. She may have her own demons and imperfections, but she loved you enough to carry you full-term. If you have not yet, thank her for this!

As I mentioned above, you will finally be experiencing and remembering some things around the age of four or five. I would love to tell you that your parents and family are perfect at this point in your life, and your life has been like going to Disneyland at this point. The reality of this is that is not true, and your family and family situation are not perfect, and thus, you are having your first taste of adversity. I hope it has been trivial at this point, but the truth is, sometimes it is not trivial, welcome to the real world!

The first thing I want you to remember is if your life is not perfect, that no matter what someone tells you, or how you feel internally, none of it is your fault! I repeat, NONE OF IT IS YOUR FAULT! You are a child in an adult world with adult problems, and you cannot be expected to make all the right decisions and be the perfect child. Perfect is a myth, even at an early age. You are just a collection of your circumstances and experiences to this point, and your brain has not even fully reached the ability to judge good decisions from bad decisions. You are just now learning the basics of the human condition and human survival. So many things, all things, are beyond your control. The good news is, regardless of the circumstances you were born into, it is never too late to rise above them and achieve greatness. The very greatness that God has instore for each of us.

I will not go into detail at this point in the book of trauma you can experience in these early years, as they are adult topics and will be covered later in the book. However, you may not always understand the trauma when it happens to you, but you will feel it. Yes, it is real, yes, you can overcome it, and again, none of it is your fault. I repeat this again, because it is the main point, I want you to take away from all of this. The unwelcome news is these early trauma events can affect us for the rest of our lives, shape our views of ourselves at an early age, and cripple us well into adulthood. The good news is they do not have to have these kinds of negative effects on you, they do not define who you are as a person. The quicker you learn to quit internalizing feelings that others are trying to project upon you, and realize that you are your own person, and that you and your actions are what define you, the happier and more fulfilled you will be. I know all of this is easier said than done but rising above the negative projections can be done.

Discovering your worth is key for all of us in this life. What do I mean by this? I am not referencing how much money you have in the bank or the possessions you own; especially as a child, because there is about a 99.999% chance you do not own anything. What I am referring to is the worth you are as a person. God has blessed every one of us with gifts and talents; yes, all of us! We were not all blessed with the same talents and gifts, and that is what makes us unique and beautiful in our own individual way. I have a saying; Babies are born perfect and us adults help to create their flaws. I honestly believe this in every way. Think about it. When babies come into the world, they do not have hate, prejudice, care about what you look like; how big, how tall, how fat, how skinny. They do not care how rich, how poor, the color of your skin, etc. They just want to play and love one another. The key is regardless of how much we adults try and interject our own insecurities, prejudices, hate upon you, do not let us. Be better than us. I know you are at the mercy of your elders and caregivers at this point, but as you navigate life with us, rise above us, and know that no matter what we say or do, you are unique, talented, beautiful, special and many other things in your own distinct way.

To give the above points a deeper meaning, I have seen young children from the most hideous of circumstances grow into amazing adults that have gone on to do incredible things. This can and should be you. You are limited by only yourself. I do not care how you look; for example, you control your physical health; which includes hygiene, diet, exercise, etc. I do not care what skin color, size, or any other attribute that is only an attribute and does not define who you are or what you can become. I do not care how much money your family has, what your circumstances presently are, as you can change them and fulfill the greatness that God has planned in your life. You can become the most beautiful you, mind, body, and soul. Take this time in your life and explore everything you can that interests you, music, sports, exercise, reading, dance, history, science, math, and any other worthwhile pursuits. There truly is a limitless list of possibilities. Exploration of these pursuits is how you will discover what you really enjoy, and if you really enjoy it, you will find that you are exceptionally talented at it.

Another key point is that regardless of circumstances, you control your education. No matter how poor your family is, you can study in school, at home, online, and learn as much as you can each day. You will wake up each day smarter than you were the day before. Education can be your Golden Ticket to your dream life. I will talk more about this in later chapters.

The final and most crucial point is your spirit and mental health are controlled by you, even at this early age. You cannot always dictate and control what happens to you at this point in your young life, but you can control how you choose to process it. I will be the first to tell you that it is possible that you can be subjected to horrific trauma, and you may feel like your life is over and not worth living,