evidence: I love a good inspirational quote. I surround myself with affirmations pinned to my walls, written in journals, framed on my desk; I even have one tattooed on my body. When the topic is midlife reinvention, I have often cited this one, attributed to the 19th-century writer George Eliot, "It is never too late to be what you might have been." But lately, I have begun to question this assertion—in particular, its backward-looking bend. [...] "It is never too late to be what you might have been," intones George Eliot from bookmarks, magnets, and memes. Here’s the thing about her words of encouragement, though. There doesn’t appear to be any evidence that she ever said or wrote them. And why would she? [...] Sure, I’d like to undo the cheese plates and Christmas cookies, but to wish for impossible do-overs on the milestones of my life, discarding all that I’ve learned and experienced, is nonsensical. Looking back at whatever might "have been" is to examine forces over which I now have no control. It is, in fact, too late to be what I might have been, and I’m okay with that.