“I’d rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.” – George Burns

At the time of his Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor in The Sunshine Boys at 80 years old, Burns was the oldest recipient of an Academy Award. Born Nathan Birnbaum, he took the name “Burns” from the Burns Brothers Coal Company, whose trucks he’d stolen lumps of coal from growing up to help heat the family home.

What lights your fire? It IS possible to find meaningful work, even later in life. It’s just a matter of how bad you want it, how much work you’re willing to put in, and how persistent you’re going to be to reach your goal.