4 life wisdom from seniors

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

As part of the Great Thanksgiving Listen project, seniors share their stories and simple life advice. TED Curators have compiled the most helpful of them.

1. Think of tough times as bad weather: they'll pass too

Agneta Vulliet was born into a family of French immigrants in New York. She married before leaving school and completed her secondary education at night school, already raising two children. Then she studied art. One of the teachers was so impressed with her tenacity that he nominated her for a scholarship.

“The decade from 20 to 30 is very hectic, but remember that things will definitely work out,” says Agneta. - At this time we want so much, we expect so much, we want to achieve success so much, we are worried about how everything will turn out. Never indulge in discouragement, no matter how difficult it may seem. Growing up like the weather. Every time you find yourself in a storm and it seems to you that you are about to be caught by the wind, the weather changes, the sun comes out again”.

2. Get inspiration from communicating with people

Bill Janz worked as a journalist, traveled a lot around the world, wrote about ordinary people who showed extraordinary courage. While in India, he almost fell off an elephant into the grass where a tiger was hiding, and during the Bosnian War in Croatia he crawled to escape sniper fire.

When asked to name one person who influenced him the most, Bill named a ten-year-old boy named Eddie. His leg was amputated due to cancer.

“He never gave up,” says Bill. - Once I called him at home, but no one answered the phone for a long time. Finally they answered the phone. I said, "Eddie, I almost hung up, where have you been?" And he simply replied, “Bill, I was in another room. There were no crutches, so I crawled to the phone.” I often think about this conversation. I sometimes give up halfway through, but the thought of Eddie keeps me going."

3. Love your job because of financial security and people

Bennie Stewart, 80, started working when he was only seven. He carried out errands from neighbors, and received payment with chicken eggs. Then he picked cotton, worked as a janitor, sold insurance, finally found himself in social work, and then became a pastor.

When asked what brought him to such different jobs, Benny replied: “I love talking to people. I have been told more than once that I am endowed with the gift of eloquence. I talk a lot and grasp everything quickly. I have always prided myself on being able to listen to instructions and understand them quickly. Work has taught me that I can provide for my family and have some things that were previously inaccessible to me."

Evelyn Trouser, 59, has a similar story. She worked in automobile factories, first on an assembly line, and then as a welder. “I advise everyone in the family - learn to provide for yourself. Don't depend on anyone, says Evelyn. - I've always loved going to work. It will be interesting or not, it all depends on the people with whom you work together."

4. Find mentors to guide and inspire you

73-year-old Allen Ebert, talking about his experience as a doctor, called the search for a mentor the main one. “At school, we learn from people who know more than us. Keep doing this your whole life. Connect with people you can learn from, or at least watch them work and achieve their goals, Allen advises. - It seems to me that we make 95% of good decisions and 5% of bad ones. And most of our adult life is spent trying to clean up the consequences of that 5%. But if you have people who can guide you and make you think twice, you will make fewer mistakes.”