Some of you know I have quotations posted in my home office and bedroom. They come from a variety of sources—from Scripture, books, from both well-known and unknown folks. The posted quotes draw my eye throughout the day and cause me to consider the messages. They make me think, make me consider where I am in life and whether there is anything I want to change (there are lots of things I should change, but don’t necessarily want to.)
Below are some quotes I find meaningful, accompanied by remarks I’ve added:
From Aristotle: “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.
Men become builders by building and lyre players by playing the lyre; so too we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”
Is there anything you’re not very good at (yet) but want to do? Art? Writing? Music? Generosity? Listening? Helpfulness? You may not achieve perfection, only improvement, but keep at it. As Aristotle said, you learn by doing. There may be things we’ll never be good at doing, no matter how much we practice (like my piano playing,) but if they’re important or enjoyable, do them anyway. I keep banging away on the piano even though improvement is incremental.
From Maya Angelou: “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them…Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking.”
Over the years I’ve had to change my way of thinking many times when I can’t control circumstances. The words of the Serenity Prayer has helped…”Give me wisdom to know the difference” (to know what I can change and cannot change.)
Also from Maya Angelou: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
Yup, in order to attain a beautiful old age, we must get through all the other ages—some of them aren’t very attractive.
Grandma Moses said “I look back on my life like a good day's work — it was done and I am satisfied with it … life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.”
I hope I can look back on my life and feel that sense of satisfaction, don’t you?
Martin Luther King Jr: “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
We must remember this when we set out to tackle a new project or a new goal.
Jeanne Calment, supercentenarian who died at 122 years and 164 days: “Always keep your smile. That's how I explain my long life.”
Olivia de Havilland, actress, “One must take what comes, with laughter.”
Recently I prepared a vision board I entitled it “goals for my 77th year.” I put my favorite quotes on it next to the list of goals. I used a large foam board from the dollar store, decorated it with pictures that complement my goals, and hung it in my office. It’s was fun to make—and motivating. I see it every day, so I can’t ignore it (like I often do the goals written in my journal.) You can do a google search to see ideas for vision boards, but it can be about anything you want it to be.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: Whatever our age, we must continue to have life goals. They can be simple goals or heavy-duty goals, (learn to embroider or become mayor.)
Boomer friends, let’s keep on keepin’ on; pursuing new goals, working on them, accomplishing some of them—or changing them to different goals for the next birthday. And let’s take the advice of Jeanne Calment and Olivia de Havilland; smile and laugh a lot whatever we do.
The Bible says “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22.)
Who wants dried up bones in old age?
---