I get a lot of patients that are really old. Like 90’s old. I’ve been blessed enough to have talked to a couple of them that were not only 95 and 96 years old, but they were still sharp as whip, cracking jokes like nobody’s business, and racing around the unit with their walkers with pretty minimal assistance. In the short instances I get to talk to them while I’m giving them medication or doing something for them, they’ve given me their secret to how they’ve stayed so alert, so active, and so happy.
First tip: Faith. As long and as difficult as their lives may have been, their faith had gotten them through many hard times. Their belief in God is what gave them something to hold on to, it’s what kept them humble, and it’s what gave them some sort of purpose in their life.
Second tip: Don’t stop reading. I asked her what she did at home to keep busy, she told me she borrowed books from the library and read a book every week. She never stops reading and she would read anything and everything.
Third tip: Never stop learning. This kinda ties into tip #2, but something she said made me smile. She told me, I am never too old to learn something new everyday, you just have to go out and look for it. That sense of curiosity and self-improvement was so inspiring, I really hope to be as sharp as she is when I’m older, if I even get that far.
And lastly, the last tip wasn’t really a tip but I thought it was really funny. She says another reason why she’s lived so long is because she’s outlived her husband lol
So here’s my new/old book list that I’m finally going to tackle. I’m also going to learn Spanish before the year ends and I’m going to learn about being financially independent as well as financially responsible. I’m definitely going to do it all and this post is my badge of accountability, so I give everyone reading this the permission to slap me and take away my ice cream if I fall short on my promises 🙂