Many of us are between
65 and death, i.e., old. My friend sent me this excellent list for aging… and I
have to agree it's good advice to follow:
1. It’s time to use the
money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it.
Don’t just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices
you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or
daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital. Warning: This is
also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They
only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and
quiet.
2. Stop worrying about
the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don’t feel bad
spending your money on yourself. You’ve taken care of them for many years, and
you’ve taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter
and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.
3. Keep a healthy life,
without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day),
eat well and get your sleep. It’s easy to become sick, and it gets harder to
remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be
aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do
tests even when you’re feeling well. Stay informed.
4. Always buy the best,
most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your
money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money
will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together
5. Don’t stress over the little things. Like paying a little extra on price quotes.
You’ve already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad
ones, but the important thing is the present. Don’t let the past drag you down
and don’t let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will
soon be forgotten.
6. Regardless of age,
always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love
your neighbor and remember: “A man is not old as long as he has intelligence
and affection.”
7. Be proud, both
inside and out. Don’t stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails,
go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well
stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you
feel proud and strong.
8. Don’t lose sight of
fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. There’s nothing
worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters.
You’ve developed your own sense of what looks good on you – keep it and be
proud of it. It’s part of who you are.
9. ALWAYS stay
up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are
saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those
social networks. You’ll be surprised what old friends you’ll meet. Keeping in
touch with what is going on and with the people you know is important at any
age.
10. Respect the younger
generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they
are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not
criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday’s wisdom still applies today.
11. Never use the
phrase: “In my time.” Your time is now. As long as you’re alive, you are part
of this time. You may have been younger, but you are still you now, having fun
and enjoying life.
12. Some people embrace
their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to
waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people,
it’ll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your
time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around.
13. Do not surrender to
the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a
financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but
we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you’ve lost
your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you
and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do
not want to live alone.
14. Don’t abandon your
hobbies. If you don’t have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook,
read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers,
chess, dominoes, golf. You can paint, volunteer or just collect certain items.
Find something you like and spend some real time having fun with it.
15. Even if you don’t
feel like it, try to accept invitations. Baptisms, graduations, birthdays,
weddings, conferences. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven’t
seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). But don’t get
upset when you’re not invited. Some events are limited by resources, and not
everyone can be hosted. The important thing is to leave the house from time to
time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there.
16. Be a
conversationalist. Talk less and listen more. Some people go on and on about
the past, not caring if their listeners are really interested. That’s a great
way of reducing their desire to speak with you. Listen first and answer
questions, but don’t go off into long stories unless asked to. Speak in
courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really
need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Everyone is going through the
same things, and people have a low tolerance for hearing complaints. Always
find some good things to say as well.
17. Pain and discomfort
go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as
a part of the cycle of life we’re all going through. Try to minimize them in
your mind. They are not who you are, they are something that life added to you.
If they become your entire focus, you lose sight of the person you used to be.
18. If you’ve been
offended by someone – forgive them. If you’ve offended someone - apologize.
Don’t drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and
bitter. It doesn’t matter who was right. Someone once said: “Holding a grudge
is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Don’t take that
poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.
19. If you have a
strong belief, savor it. But don’t waste your time trying to convince others.
They will make their own choices no matter what you tell them, and it will only
bring you frustration. Live your faith and set an example. Live true to your
beliefs and let that memory sway them.
20. Laugh. Laugh A LOT.
Laugh at everything. Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to
have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a
full life. But you did. So what’s not to laugh about? Find the humor in your
situation.
21. Take no notice of
what others say about you and even less notice of what they might be thinking.
They’ll do it anyway, and you should have pride in yourself and what you’ve
achieved. Let them talk and don’t worry. They have no idea about your history,
your memories and the life you’ve lived so far. There’s still much to be
written, so get busy writing and don’t waste time thinking about what others
might think. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can
be!
REMEMBER: “Life is too
short to drink bad wine and warm beer”.
shop near Biblos/G'Bail/Gebal (Greek/Arabic/Phoenician), Lebanon (2010)
