No matter what era they lived in, elder people have more experience in life than you do. They might know less about technology, they may think deleting the Internet Icon is deleting the Internet, but when it comes to life advice they are the wisest people to ask on Earth.
Recently, I made an hour long ‘Interview’ with my grandparents. What I discovered is that basically everything is the same through generations, no matter in what kind of society you live, no matter the advancement in technology. The essential things like friendship, work, school, telling the girl/boy that you like how you feel, marriage, having children… these things are present in every generation (we do them in different ways, but the essence is still the same).
When you ask elderly members of your family to give guidance on these basic elements, you’ll notice that the advice they give apply even today. Not just that they apply, but they are some of the wisest pieces of wisdom you’ve ever stumbled upon. That’s why someone asked the elderly Reddit community to share their best pieces of advice for the youngsters today. Here are the 10 best we found:
1. The most important person in your life is the person who agreed to share their life with you. Treat them as such.
2. People always say, ’’Make sure you get a job doing what you love!’’ But that isn’t the best advice. The right job is the job you love some days, can tolerate most days, and still pays the bills. Almost nobody has a job they love every day.
3. If you’re getting overwhelmed by life, just return to the immediate present moment and savour all that is beautiful and comforting. Take a deep breath, relax.
4. Years go by in the blink of an eye. Don’t marry young. Live your life. Go places. Do things. If you have the means or not. Pack a bag and go wherever you can afford to go. While you have no dependents, don’t buy stuff. Any stuff. See the world. Look through travel magazines and pick a spot. GO!
5. Don’t take life so seriously. Even if things seem dark and hopeless, try to laugh at how ridiculous life is.
6. Appreciate the small things and to be present in the moment. What do I mean? Well, it seems today like younger people are all about immediate gratification. Instead, why not appreciate every small moment? We don’t get to stay on this crazy/wonderful planet forever and the greatest pleasure can be found in the most mundane of activities. Instead of sending a text, pick up the phone and call someone. Call your mother, have a conversation about nothing in particular. Those are the moments to hold onto.
7. We have one time on this earth. Don’t wake up and realize that you are 60 years old and haven’t done the things you dreamed about.
8. When you meet someone for the first time, stop and realize that you really know nothing about them. You see race, gender, age, clothes. Forget it all. You know nothing. Those biased assumptions that pop into your head because of the way your brain likes categories, are limiting your life, and other people’s lives.
9. Nobody ever dies wishing they had worked more. Work hard, but don’t prioritize work over family, friends, or even yourself.
10. Don’t take anyone else’s advice as gospel. You can ask for advice from someone you respect, then take your situation into consideration and make your own decision. Essentially, take your own advice is my advice…
Source: Reddit;
Special thanks to: Collective Evolution;
