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Living and enduring through war, love, sorrow, envy, peace and all other forms of humanity can make a person wise in their later years.
So next time you visit a nursing home or you visit your grandparents, have a deep conversation with them; you could learn some life-changing things.
1. "Marriage is not 50-50. It is 100-100. Remember that when you wake up and when you go to bed. Everyday." -86-year-old
2. "It is good to be around positive people, you know the kind that uplifts you." -100-year-old
3. "Never be too good to start at the bottom." -99-year-old
4. "Nobody ever dies wishing they had worked more." -95-year-old
5. "Life isn't tied with a bow. But it is still a gift." -99-year-old
6. "I make myself go out every day, even if it's only to walk around the block. The key to staying young is to keep moving." -92-year-old
7. "Your job provides the means to do what's really important in life, nothing more. Do the job but live for your family." -95-years-old
8. "Burn the candles; use the nice sheets; wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special." -99-year-old
9. "Travel while you're young and able. Don't worry about the money, just make it work. Experience is far more valuable than money will ever be." -80-year-old
10. "If you're positive you can get through it OK. When you think negatively, you're putting poison on your body. Just smile. They say laughter is the best medicine there is." -100-year-old
11. "When you meet someone for the first time, realize that you know nothing about them. You see race, gender, age, clothes. Forget it. You know nothing. Those biased assumptions that pop into your head because of the way your brain likes categories, are limiting your life, and others' lives." -83-year-old
12. "Collect experiences." -87-year-old
13. "If you're faced with a problem, don't delay trying to figure it out. But if there's no way to figure it out, you have to forget about it." -99-year-old
14. "Life isn't serious. Success or failure mean nothing in the scheme of life's existence." -97-year-old
15. "Don't be crazy about amassing material things. Remember: you don't know when your number is up, and you can't take it with you to the next place." -100- year-old
16. "Try not to eat anything that's healthy. It's true. I eat whatever I want. The secret to longevity is ice cream." -94-year-old 17. "Believe in miracles." -99-year-old
18. "If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back." -99-year-old
19. "It's just as important to take care of your mind. I take two classes… and I've studied everything from anti-Semitism to current events."-88-year-old
20. "I think people have to be curious. They have to be interested in life outside their little aches and pains. They have to be excited about seeing new things, meeting new people, watching a new play—just passionate about life." -90-year-old
21. "Choose your mate with your brains as well as your hormones. Be picky." -86-year-old
22. "Books. Read them."-83-year-old
23. "Take a deep breath. It calms the mind." -99-year-old
24. "Always listen to the other person. You'll learn something. Try to sit back, because you will learn a lot more listening to others than telling them what you know."-89-year-old
25. "I try to take the time to look at and appreciate the smaller things that make this life beautiful. When I do that, time slows." -92-year-old
Although these people are years beyond my expertise, allow me to add my own piece of advice to this list. Life is not fair, it was never meant to be easy, but just because it isn't perfect does not mean it's not full of goodness. Love with all of your heart, enjoy the little things and cherish every moment.
