I’ve learned a lot in these 70 years. When I decided to write this post, my eyes glazed over as I was making my list. Who cares about the minutia of everyday life, especially about someone else? Many things are only important to the person experiencing them.
I thought about writing about the highlights, but they may only be important to me. I will save all of that for my memoirs, but I doubt that the memoirs will sell many copies.
Based on that, I condensed the major life lessons into decades. You’ll see that I couldn’t stop at only seven. But I couldn’t NOT share the overruns.
70th Birthday Lessons
Here are seven things I learned for each decade of my life.
Lesson 1
Time truly does heal all wounds. It may take a day, a week, a month, or a lifetime. It depends on how nasty the wound is.
Lesson 2
Tomorrow is another day (cliché, ugh!). But consider it a new beginning, a new start, or a way to start over. Begin again.
Lesson 3
We are responsible for our own health.
- What we eat
- What we drink
- How much we rest
- How happy we are
- How happy we make other people
- Where we live
- How much we exercise
- How we handle our dental care
Lesson 4
Our lives are richer when we learn to forgive.
- Ourselves
- Others
Lesson 5
Maintaining curiosity keeps us connected to the world around us.
Take off the blinders of ignorance. Be open to new experiences, new people, new cultures.
Life is not boring.
Lesson 6
People are alike all over the world. We have the same desires and needs to be fulfilled. Just the scenery is different.
Lesson 7
Good values keep you grounded and appreciative of life’s experiences.
Lesson 7.1
There are no coincidences. A master plan unfolds daily for no apparent reason. Hindsight is 20/20.
Sometimes, it’s hard to understand why something is happening to us. I’ve learned to get through it and reflect later to make sense of it.
Lesson 7.2
You are never too old to learn new things. That’s the joy of daily living.
I frequently watch cooking shows or reels on social media. I enjoy learning to make healthy meals and treats and have a broad collection of recipes.
My sketchbook is starting to be filled with sketches of objects in everyday life. I also learned that I don’t enjoy it. I “adulted” and permitted myself to stop doing it.
Traveling is one of my passions. I’m a travel junkie. Seeing new destinations, getting to know the locals, and learning new languages and cultures is exciting. I never tire of it.
Lesson 7.3
You don’t have to go to a church building to commune with your God.
No matter what you call your God, show reverence or praise Creation, it is a personal choice that only you can perform.
Lesson 7.4
The art of giving is priceless.
Final Thoughts on My 70th Birthday
I’ve begun the journey into the last quarter of my life. While my outlook and mental image is that of someone half my age, I love how much knowledge I have now and wish I’d had it in my youth. Of course, I had all the answers when I was 18. Didn’t you?