Wednesday, July 21, 2021

The Way We Were Wednesday - Wisdom of Age

I read this one on Facebook, edited it a little tiny bit, and felt the need to share.  No reason to wait until we are older to learn these simple lessons. 

I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what

sort of changes he is feeling in himself?  He sent me the following:

1.  After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children

and my friends, I have now started loving myself.

2.  I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest

on my shoulders.

3.  I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few

pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the

fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

4.  I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a

smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.

5.  I stopped telling the older person that they've already told me

that story many times. The story makes them walk down

memory lane & relive their past.

6.  I have learned 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.

7.  I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a

mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me.  And a

small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it

down, just say "Thank You.”

8.  I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my

shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.

9.  I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not

know my worth, but I do.

10.  I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the

rat race. I am not a rat & I am not in a race.

11.  I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my

emotions that make me human.

12.  I have learned 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.

13.  I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might

be the last.

14.  I am doing 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!

 

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous7/21/2021

    Wise words really but I am not sure about number 9. I don't know that I am valued much.

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    Replies
    1. You are the most valuable you, there ever was.

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  2. The lessons of age. I know them well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have worked in aging for 20+ years, I have grown into the work.

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  3. Good list, although #12 needs more nuance. Toxic relationships are NOT better than being alone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. good point, I dropped a few toxic people this past year.

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  4. This is a great list. Thanks for sharing it.

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  5. Sound advice.

    I struggled with #5 while we were away as one friend kept repeating stories he'd already told, and I chose not to tell him so,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read a great book a few years ago, about communicating with older adults, that basically said, let them talk and listen, they will tell you what you need to know, repeatedly but if you shut them off, they think you don't care

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  6. Very thought provoking. My thoughts don't particularly feel like being provoked today, but I'll deal :) I have a problem with #7. I can give compliments freely. It usually sounds like I'm sucking up. I do have a problem with accepting them, though. Is one ever too old to seek out a good therapist?
    I disagree with #14. As a sufferererer of depression, I can choose to be happy but my body begs to differ sometimes. I do understand the sentiment, though.

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  7. Few of are taught how to accept a complement, or how to apologize, I have had training in apology. I thought about #14, it fails to acknowledge true depression.

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  8. Only #8 is suspect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The older I get, the more my inner slob comes out.

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