Most Valuable Life Lessons from Seniors

What is the most common trait of almost all successful people? They learn from their mistakes. But what if you didn’t have to make those mistakes yourself, instead you learn from other people’s mistakes. If you’re lucky enough to have grandparents or any older family members in your life, go and ask them about some of their mistakes in life, in their work, or with their family. I guarantee you they will be more than happy to reflect and share with you the lessons they’ve learned. I learned so much from my grandparents and wanted to hear from even more seniors, so I began volunteering at my local retirement home. I’ve met with over 50 seniors and want to share the top lessons that I’ve learned from them.

Age is just a number and youth is just a state of mind. You’re never too old to try new things or follow your dreams. But don’t take your youth for granted, you can maintain a youthful spirit but your body will age and your responsibilities will increase.

Look at the world like a child, you truly can learn something from anyone. Embrace the idea that you know nothing and you’ll be the wisest person in the room. Your brain is a muscle just like any other part of your body, so exercise it.

As you get older you become exposed to some of the harsher realities of the world we live in. Life becomes more serious, you have bills to pay, you may worry about your job security, or the state of the economy, or pending wars and global pandemics. Don’t let outside stressors ruin your internal happiness. Don’t take life too seriously, and enjoy the laughter whenever you get the chance.

It’s hard to think about saving money for 20, 30, or even 40+ years from now but honestly the longer you have the better. If you haven’t heard of compound interest look it up and start learning how you can benefit from it. Young people now have even more access to retirement tools and education. You can learn all you need to about retirement online, even open a retirement account online. Take advantage of your opportunity to let your investments compound for decades. Your future self will thank you.

Be humble throughout your wins and losses. Being humble will take you further in life than being cocky. Allow others to help you when you need it and be quick to give credit when credit is due. Similarly, be quick to offer help when others are in need because serving others will ultimately serve you more than you could imagine.

At the end of your life I hope you have as few regrets as possible. You may think of regrets as things you wish you DIDN’T do, but of all the seniors I’ve met they all most regret the chances they didn’t take or the things they didn’t get the chance to do. Don’t be scared to try new things, get out of your comfort zone and experience new things in life. The most rewarding experiences are on the other side of fear. “In the cave you most fear lies the treasure you seek”.

There are some moments you can’t get back in life… actually there are NO moments that you can get back. Every experience is unique and once in a lifetime. I’ve met too many seniors that prioritized work over family, and now in their golden years they are alone. My advice is be aware of the choices you make today and ask yourself if you’ll be happy with them 30 years from now. What is going to matter more being there for your children or your spouse or your parents or siblings; or meeting deadlines at work and impressing your boss? Unapologetically prioritize family.

There’s a wonderful quote from the older generation and it goes “As you are now so once was I, and as I am now so shall be you”. Old people were once your age and one day you will be old like them, so take what they can teach you from similar experiences at your age and use it to live a better life as you age.