At my recent birthday party, someone asked me to write about what I had learned in my first 83 years. What? I’m not 100. I’m not qualified. But here goes:
—If your back hurts for no good reason, look to your head, not your back. It’s amazing how much the mind, often stressed, controls the body.
—Career is important, but so is family. Keep them in balance.
—My biggest regrets are not over things I have done. They are over things I haven’t done.
—When mistakes are made, don’t always blame yourself. Some things were just meant to happen.
—You learn the most from failures, not successes. I have recalled some setbacks and decided they led to something better.
—“No man is an island” as I learned recently from an old book of that title by Thomas Merton. I have tried to be an island most of my life, but I find that the most satisfaction comes from interacting with people. (I used to play music only for myself but now I try to share it with others. Does this column count?)
We are so fortunate to even be on this planet. We have to give something back. True satisfaction comes from contributing something to it. That can include good dead or even a friendly smile.
— Ask me again when I am 100.
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