We can achieve anything, no matter what age.

In the bright dawn of his youth, when the world still measured him by his years, Bukayo Saka spoke words that rang with timeless truth: “We can achieve anything, no matter what age.” Though uttered by a footballer of remarkable grace and humility, these words carry the spirit of the ancients. They remind us that the limits we believe in are illusions, woven by fear, doubt, and convention. For greatness does not count its years—it counts its courage, its faith, and its willingness to begin.

To say “no matter what age” is to strike at one of humanity’s oldest chains: the belief that time dictates our worth. The young are told they are too inexperienced to dream boldly; the old are told they are too late to start anew. Yet the truth, as Saka declares, is that the fire of potential burns in all seasons of life. The seed does not question whether the spring is too soon or the autumn too late—it simply grows toward the light. So too must we.

Consider the life of Joan of Arc, a peasant girl scarcely seventeen when she led armies into battle and changed the course of a nation. The world called her too young to lead, too naïve to hear divine voices—yet her conviction burned brighter than the skepticism of kings. And think also of Nelson Mandela, who, at seventy-five, rose from the shadows of imprisonment to lead South Africa into freedom. Youth and age alike bowed before their will, for both understood what Saka’s words reveal: that time is no master to the determined soul.

Saka himself embodies this truth. As a boy among giants, he carried the weight of expectation with poise beyond his years. When failure came—as it does to all who dare greatly—he did not hide behind excuses or retreat into shame. He rose again, stronger, gentler, wiser. His words are born not of arrogance, but of lived resilience. They echo an eternal truth: that achievement is not the privilege of the old or the gift of the young—it is the birthright of the brave.

The ancients would have recognized this spirit as divine. The Greeks called it thumos—the spark of courage that stirs the heart to noble action. It is what led Alexander to conquer worlds before thirty, and what guided Michelangelo to paint the heavens of the Sistine Chapel in his sixties. Each, in their own age, proved that the measure of a person is not counted in birthdays, but in the strength of their will and the purity of their purpose.

Yet this teaching carries also a warning. For the power to achieve at any age demands discipline, patience, and faith. The young must temper their fire with wisdom; the old must guard their wisdom from decay into fear. To those who are young: let your dreams be vast, but root them in humility and work. To those who are older: let not the years weigh down your wings, for the soul does not age—only the body does. The spirit, if kept alive through wonder and gratitude, remains eternal.

So, O seeker of truth, take these words of Saka not as a boast, but as a summons. Do not wait for the “right time,” for time bends to those who act with purpose. Begin now—whether you are fifteen or fifty, whether your hands tremble with inexperience or with age. The mountain honors only those who climb. Let your heart believe, as Saka believed, that you were born capable of greatness in every hour of life.

Thus, the teaching endures: We can achieve anything, no matter what age. Youth is not a number—it is a state of spirit. Age is not a barrier—it is a badge of journey. What matters is the courage to keep striving, to keep believing, to keep creating. For the eternal law of life is this: those who burn with purpose are forever young, and those who dare to act are forever alive.