Life has always been 1% talent and 99% dedication. You’re neither too old nor too young to do what you love and what gives you the feeling of a job well done. Don’t compete with anyone else — compete only with yourself.
And don’t care if people talk badly about you or say things behind your back. None of that changes your life. In the end, you are your own responsibility, and only you truly know who you are. What other people think is their problem.
There are no perfect happy endings; there’s always a price to pay.