What have I learned at 65

I recently asked my self what I have learned in my 65 years so far. Please feel free to add more if you are so inclined.


Words spoken can never be retrieved.

Small decisions can have huge consequences.

Relationships are so much more than a matter of proximity.

Vision is more than eyesight.

Words have the power of life and death, and yes they can harm you!

A handshake of agreement should have more power than a written contract.

Our lives will be remembered by those we haven’t forgotten.

Often truth is only what appears to be working.

We often model the behavior we see around us, be careful who we spend time with.

Love fuels compassion and forgiveness.

If we are critical of our own faults we are often critical of others faults.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Don’t hide from or deny emotions, it will rob you of life.

Don’t allow what you believe others think of you to rule your life.

Spend time doing important things like day dreaming, talking to yourself, doodling, and exercising your senses.

Challenge yourself to try new things, art, music, writing, theater, etc.

Strive to be congruent, the same on the inside as on the outside.

Be a genuine you.

Good day my friends,
grayeagle

Well written and so much more to add.

Things I learned from my parents

Religion........"You better pray that comes out of the carpet"

Logic............"Because I said so, that's why"

Irony............"Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about"

Wisdom........"When you get to my age, you'll understand"

Justice.........."One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!

reply to post by grayeagle

Don’t allow what you believe others think of you to rule your life.

I like this one.

because you are usually wrong.

reply to post by grayeagle


Well said...for me you have written what I have learned too...so far!

reply to post by TDawgRex


Your list was so good! Reminds me of one of my mothers "momisms". It will stop hurting as soon as the pain goes away!

reply to post by HanzHenry


Isn't that the truth! We so often labor under the mistaken idea of how we think others see us. What a shock to our egos when we find out they were thinking just the opposite.

When all is said and done.......
More will be said than done.........................s

reply to post by grayeagle


Thank you very much for sharing sir.

reply to post by grayeagle

That's a pretty good list, grayeagle. I've not hit 65 yet so mine's not that long yet. But being nearer 60 than 50, it's getting there.

One that I've always tried to follow is:
If you've got a problem and you can do something about, then do it. If you can't do anything about it, then don't worry over it as worrying achieves nothing good.

And one for couples, or families, or even between friends:

Never let the sun go down on your wrath.

Here's a couple from Yogi Berra, who was famed as much for his dry wit as he was for his baseball skills:

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

and

The future ain't what it used to be.

And perhaps my favourite:

If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be.

Very interesting insight

“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”

― Sydney Smith

Live fearlessly, don`t be afraid to be yourself.

reply to post by grayeagle


Stop fighting yourself.
We do it all the time and don't even realize it.
If we get out of our own way, everything else will fall in place.

reply to post by Tardacus

Research has shown that people who live a life of regret for what they didn't do live about 5 years less.

Ok .. awesome thread .. S&F
Got me thinking what to post..

If you walk into a church and expect it to be perfect, it won't be once you're inside.

Stand up and say something to someone that cares about children, adults and seniors living in abuse; you'll never know, it could be you one day.

Don't judge God to harshly, he gave us the gift to make moral conscience decisions, even though some of those decisions aren't what He wanted or expected.

Remember, we can be savages, if we choose to be.

If you start an formal education, 'bite the bullet', pay off the debt & finish it-period; in 30 years from now, employers will still look at it as a major accomplishment, even though your life might be.

So how much of that did you learn in time for it to make a difference?

It seems to me that as soon as I figure out one set of circumstances (which can take a decade) I'm already 5-10 years behind where I need to be in the next decade. For example, I bet as soon as I figure myself out and could be spending time enjoying that, I end up in a relationship - x_x

S&F

And of course, this is why you should take advice from your elders, friends - it can be used on time that way.

What I've learned the hard way:

> In trying to learn from other people's mistakes I made my own

> In trying to be honest and true I was self-deceptive and often wrong

> In trying to be open-minded I was often short-sighted

> In trying to be strong I lost my natural strengths

> In trying to "find myself" I lost myself


Conclusion: don't be too hard on yourself and always question anything internal or external which suggests a change of Self. The only real truth speaks to you from deep inside, to your heart. They say that wisdom comes with age but I remember being wise as a child and from experience I have made poor decisions using seemingly sound judgements. I say that wisdom is a knowing deep inside, a spiritual connection to the universe (and perhaps a Higher Power.) But it speaks softly and there are many distractions, including self-doubt and short-sighted ambitions, which fog a clearer vision.

Wisdom is being still and accepting what is. Unwise is trying to be something else. Never try; simply be.

reply to post by grayeagle


I am only 24 years old myself. So I honestly have no insight yet, worthy of sharing. But dear god people, write more! Everyone above the age of 50. I would love to read what insights you have learned in your lifes. Heck.. it might save me a few years in the long run

There is something special about reading what experienced people have learned to find important. Sometimes it is quite surprising how simple these "lessons" can be.

What I, a 60 year old bloke has learned

life is a compiicated business, there is more to life than what meets the eye

Wether its good bad or ugly, thats the way it is.

To live so long and learn so little is a waste of life

the quality of our lives is measured by the quality of our relationships with others, not by money

what you send around comes back

Worrying does'nt solve anything but at least it gives you something to do until the worried about event occurs. (learned while waiting for a brain tumor to be taken out)

dont be too harsh on man who fights for himself for one day he might fight for you.

65 is still young, you're just a kid

Here's an oldie but a goodie
" Grab the bull by the horns"
I think we should all pass on our insights to the younger ones as much as possible. I was always receptive to this kind of advice when I was young but almost never found anyone willing to share.