What makes life worth living? Who knows better than those who have done a lot of living: older adults.
The Legacy Project has gathered “lessons for living from the wisest Americans.” Starting in 2004, this Cornell University research project asked over 1,500 elders for insights for “surviving and thriving” in life.
The project organized the advice into seventeen browsable topics. These tips may help you gain a new perspective on a current life challenge. Or you might consider the elders’ comments as an opportunity for thoughtful discussion with your loved one. Here are some examples:
- Money. ” . . . save a little money every week for yourself. . . . at the end of fifty years you’re going to have a nice nest egg if you pay yourself first.”
- Worry and stress. “If you feel you are a decent person because of the way you regularly handle things, you can learn by a negative comment but it won’t hurt.”
- Values to live by. “Be true to yourself! . . . pursue interests that appeal to you, because that is where the joy fights the pain.”
- Living with loss. “Many years ago I chose a catch phrase by which I live: ‘an attitude of gratitude.’ I have learned that, if I look, I can always find something good.”
- Health. “What you do when you’re young, it will hunt you up when you get old. . . . live right and keep yourself in good shape.”
One common perspective is that life does throw curve balls. And yet, despite the hardships and challenges, there is still much to enjoy. Indeed, many suggested that the key to satisfaction is a willingness to live each day anew, maintaining an optimistic attitude and openness to change.
The Legacy Project participants seemed to take pleasure in sharing their wisdom as the “fruit of life.” You might ask your loved one if they have any tips for you!