Live and Learn!

As of February 1st, my 60th birthday, I can officially say I did not die a young man.  Yay me!  I know that probably sounds odd, but suffice it to say I’ve lived through much and feel very, very fortunate to still be here.  I have also come to a few conclusions I’d like to share.

  1. Life is not fair.  Things will never go exactly the way you like.  You will be forced to adjust, change course, and even bear the unbearable.  It’s not easy, but you can handle it.

  2. We cause ourselves tremendous pain, frustration, anxiety, depression and grief by not accepting #1 as true.  No matter how hard you try, you cannot avoid the experience of difficulties and failures.

  3. Those difficulties and failures mold you, but they need not define you.  You choose if you are going to sit in the mire or advance through adversity.

  4. Taking a step in any direction creates a new future.  Life is full of choices.  Choose what makes you feel alive and fulfilled.  Be brave.

  5. You are imperfect and you make mistakes.  Do not repeat them.  Learn as you live, and let those lessons make you a better version of yourself.  Guilt is good for only one thing, changing behavior.  Sometimes you learn who you are by finding out who you are not.  It’s called growth.

  6. Understand others are also imperfect.  Being human is our shared experience, and from it can come compassion for those who struggle.

  7. Be careful what you tell yourself.  Most of what you think is not worthy of your time or attention.  Not everything is a problem you need to fix.

  8. Helping someone also helps you.  Do some small kindness every day, and whenever possible leave things a little better than how you find them.

  9. You are part of something much larger than yourself.  Take time to explore spirituality, but be leery of any belief which separates you from others.

    Getting old is not a privilege given to everyone.  Now that I’m officially a senior citizen, I feel permitted to say what I think.  Take it or leave it.  

Read More on Senior Page
Volume 11, Issue 2, Posted 5:53 PM, 02.05.2020