Posted on 04/16/2018 5:37:36 AM PDT by sodpoodle
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. 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!
Bump
Thanks for posting. Sooo very true.
I’m bitter and surly NOW! Why should I change?
Ditto
Good post!
To which I’d add:
Never consider yourself to be old. Old is always 15 years older than you are. So if you’re 70, you’re not old. 85 is old. And if you’re 85, you’re not old. 100 is old.
One more bit of advice I heard last summer from a doctor on a island in Canada. “If you want to age gracefully, don’t fall.”
He thought it was crazy that I was a ski instructor, but I don’t fall much on the slopes. I am cautious on the slopes, and I always try to hold on to a railing on stairs. I have slipped on stairs too many times.
Great post, thanks.
Or, do it your way;)
Again, I often wonder what they were thinking. They risked their livelihood and wealth for what reason? Most of it was for the right reason, freedom, but they were not all pure in their thinking. Some realized they had lost everything already because of the British Monarchy.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose? Folks, the reality is the liberals are going to destroy our wealth.
****I’m bitter and surly NOW! Why should I change?***
Because you should;) LOL!!!!
Live forever, or die trying.
Forwarded to appropriate family members
I liked step one: “It’s time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it”. Unfortunately, I didn’t time it well and used it all up on Medical expenses and taxes. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Getting old is expensive - trust me on that!
Wise words my friend... Wise words
Disagree with #1 since I rationally conclude I’ll be traveling to the other side before my wife and I’d like to leave her free from money woes.
May I add: Don’t act old. I have known a lot of people who reach an age (it could be 55, 60 and such) and suddenly “accept” a certain type of behavior. For example, I know a man who retired at 60 and suddenly put on velcro shoes, a sweater and gave up gardening (not for any sort of declining health or physical ability but because he felt he had reached “that age”). Nonsense. Growing old with dignity doesn’t mean you have to fit into a stereotype... be you..
Not in the age-range suggested, but very good advice, except love for others compels me to share my faith sort of in violation of #19.
Admittedly, as I age I am more and more mindful of the need to remain cheerful. This is good advise, but I find it difficult in a world with such pain and sorrow. Nonetheless, I am certain of my rich future and need to remain focused on that.
Thanks for posting.
Regarding spending:
Give to charity, it feels better than being extravagant.
MESSAGE TO THE YOUNG: Solve your problems as soon as you can and before it's too late. It's nice to be old with solved problems and plenty of happiness and peace of mind, but the converse is not nice at all.
I'll never forget Linda Lee Meade's spur-of-the-moment advice, back in 1959, when, as a Miss America contestant, she was asked what advice she would give her daughter if she had one and knew that she would never see her again:
"I would tell her to find out as soon as she can just what she needs to be happy and to trust herself and to trust God and not stop until she finds it."I'm quoting from memory, almost 60 years ago. I hope I didn't misquote.
LOL, a sure sign the end is imminent.
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