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A person who had just had their 70th birthday was asked by a friend, what sort of changes they were feeling inside? They sent the following reply:
After loving my parents, siblings, spouse, children and friends, I have now started loving myself.
I have also learned...
I am not “Atlas.” The world does not rest on my shoulders.
to leave my waitress a big tip. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.
not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.
to walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.
not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.
not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.
to give compliments freely and generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me.
that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.
to do what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!
Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80...we should practice this at any age?
Go to school on other people’s experiences. Learn from their wise words or from their mistakes and shorten your learning curve. If I have learned one thing in life/business, it is “WHY” experience the pain to learn something when you don’t have to; the more knowledge you can gain from others the better for you. Life is too short to learn and experience it ALL yourself. I think Japanese philosopher, Daisaku Ikeda said it best: “The wisdom and experience of older people is a resource of inestimable worth.” Take advantage of it every chance you get.