Submitted on Wednesday October 10th, 2012
What makes life worth living? Who knows better than those who have done a lot of living: older adults.
The "Legacy Project" is gathering "lessons for living from the wisest Americans." Since 2004, this Cornell University research project has asked some 1,500 elders for insights for "surviving and thriving" in life.
The project website presents advice on 17 featured topics (in video and in text). These tips may help you gain a new perspective on a current life challenge. Or you might consider the elders' comments as an opportunity to connect in new ways with your loved one. Here are some examples.
- Money: " . . . save a little money every week for yourself. . . . and 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."