Many of us are between 65 and death. I didn’t write this,
but these are good thoughts to keep in mind, no matter how old or young you
are.

01 – 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.

02 – 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.

03 – 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.

04 – 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.

05 – 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.

06 – 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.

07 – 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.

08 – 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.

09 – Always stay up-to-date. Read the news, 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 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!

And, Remember: Life is too short to drink bad wine! ! !

See you next week….

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