As we grow old, our priorities change. So do
our capabilities. We need to redefine our objectives in life. Following is an
excerpt from the book ‘Life Version 2’, which is a set of standard guidelines for
senior people on how to lead a happy and satisfied life.
…
Abhijeet said, “This mantra is called WISDOM
OF GOLDAGE. Now, look at the letters in this phrase WISDOM OF GOLDAGE. It has
fifteen letters. Each letter signifies a word. I shall explain all these words
briefly, one by one.
The first letter is W. This is associated
with WALKING. As we grow old, our capability to do any strenuous physical
exercise is greatly diminished. Our body cannot absorb the shocks anymore.
During our younger days, we may have jogged for several kilometers a day, or
worked out in gymnasiums for hours. However, that has no relevance today,
except for the fact that your body would be fit and perfect now. Nevertheless,
you need to do something today, to ensure that your body remains fit in the
future too. Remember, your value is largely intact till the day you are not
bedridden. To ensure that you postpone the day of confining yourselves to bed,
you just need to walk every day. Walk as per your capability. Do not walk
briskly, if your current health does not allow you to do so. Walk slowly, if
you cannot walk fast. However, you must walk. Walking is one exercise, which a
person can do, with minimum efforts and maximum benefits. A thirty minutes of walk every day, will keep in control your diabetes,
blood pressure and cholesterol. It keeps you active throughout the day and
increases your metabolism rate, which helps in your digestion process. So,
whether it is a sunny day or a rainy day, walk for half an hour every day. If
you cannot go out for a walk, please walk inside your home in the living room.
Remember, many people suffer from arthritis in their golden age. Those people
cannot walk. So, feel blessed if you do not suffer from arthritis and start
walking from today onwards.
The second letter is I. This is associated
with INTERFERENCE. You need to avoid interfering with everything that is going around you. You
should not think that you still hold the important pivotal position in the family.
Your children are capable of running the house. You would be often tempted to
interfere in every matter, which is being discussed in your home. Whenever you
see someone going out, you would be tempted to ask him or her where he or she
is going. Please avoid this temptation. Remember, others may not view your
interference in correct spirits. They may treat it as an obstruction or
hindrance. Therefore, please do not interfere. Be assured that if something
concerns you, they will definitely tell you about it. It is not necessary that
you should know everything about everything that is going around you. Those
days are gone. Be content with whatever is shared with you.
The third letter is S. This is associated
with SMILE. Nothing stops you from smiling. Actually, it costs nothing. In
fact, when you have a smiling face, people tend to be more open to you, more
considerate towards you and they are more comfortable in dealing with you. On
the contrary, having a frown on the face will make people irritated and less
comfortable in dealing with you. In such situations, people do not share their
ideas with you, and you face the risk of missing valuable information. So smile
at every opportunity. It adds to your face value.
The fourth letter is D. This is associated
with DIET. Friends, all of you have enjoyed sumptuous lunches and dinners
throughout your life. You might have tasted the most exotic food around the
world. However, as you grow older, your digestion capacity reduces
significantly. The body parts like liver, kidney and pancreas do not function
with the same vigor
as they did during your youth. They need to be treated gently. If you do not
monitor and control your diet properly, it puts excessive pressure on your
vital body parts, and then, in a chain reaction they start failing one after
another. By controlling your diet, you can actually increase the functioning
efficiency of all vital organs and your longevity. You comprise of your several
body parts. If your body parts are functioning well, you are healthy.
Otherwise, you are not. Therefore, keep a strict watch on what you eat. Please
do not eat excessive food. Avoid fried, spicy and sweet delicacies. They cause
more damage to your system. By eating a moderate quantity of food, you can be
healthier and more active, than what you will be by eating stomach-full every
time. Control your diet… it is an important gateway to a perfect health.
The fifth letter is O. This is associated
with OTHERS. Gone are the days, when you did things for yourself, unmindful of others.
Now, you need to watch whether your actions or words cause any inconvenience to
others around you. Please avoid doing or saying anything, which others may not
like. If you need to say something to someone, please say only that, which is
true, and which others would like. That will increase your acceptability among
others.
The sixth letter is M. This is associated
with MEDICINES. Please ensure that you take all your medicines regularly, as
advised by the doctor. Do not reduce or increase the medicine dose by
yourselves, just because you feel better or worse. Consult a doctor immediately
whenever you notice any abnormality in your health. Remember that early
diagnosis and preventive cure can avoid many health complications. Whenever the
doctor advises you to take medicines for specific number of days, complete the
medicine course, even if you feel better midway. Your medicines are as
important as eating and breathing.
The seventh letter is O. This is associated
with your OUTLOOK TOWARDS LIFE. Change your outlook. Remember that you are not
going to be here forever. Accept the fact that you are currently playing your
“mandatory overs” of a cricket test match. These are numbered. Your outlook
towards life changes when you truly understand this fact. Then, you would no
longer be attached to the material things in life, as you realize that you
cannot take away anything with you. Bear in mind that among all the people
alive in the world today, you are among those, who are more likely to depart
first. So, start acting like a guest rather than a host. Accept to live a life
of detached attachment, so that the pain of losing something would be
minimized.
The eighth letter is F. This is associated
with FORGET AND FORGIVE. During your lifetime, you might have had the strength
and courage to afford to have a fight or to hold a grudge against someone. Now,
the times have changed. Holding a grudge against someone is going to burn you
from inside, as your powers to act are greatly reduced. Sometimes, you may
observe that others do not behave with you in a manner, which you expect them
to. Please remember that they might have their own compulsions, to act in such
a way. However, you should not assume that they have something against you. You
may not know the full picture. Therefore, adopt the policy of forgive and
forget. That will help you to maintain peace and balance in your life, all the
time.
The ninth letter is G. This is associated
with GRATITUDE. Express your gratitude at every opportunity. While it would not
be practical to express your gratitude verbally to your family members every
time, your body language can surely convey that. It is an acknowledgement of
help received. It fills up both, the giver and receiver of help, with peace
instantly. When we do not hesitate to say a simple “thank you” to any stranger
for the help received, why should we feel shy in demonstrating that feeling in
our expressions and body language when someone close to us helps us in any way?
Remember, the prayers of all the religions are nothing but the expression of
our gratitude to the almighty for our existence and wellbeing.
The tenth letter is O. This is associated
with OFFER TO HELP. You are in that phase of life, when people around you
develop a feeling that your utility is greatly reduced. Moreover, the fact
that, most likely, you are not the breadwinner of the family would sometimes
reduce your importance in the house proportionately. Therefore, to justify your
existence, whenever an opportunity arises where you can offer help to someone,
please do so without hesitation. Offer help to others, within your practical
and feasible limits. Remember, this is not to be confused with interference.
The offer of help could be in those areas, where others do not find time, or
are less inclined to do that task. Remember, such offer of help will make you
immensely popular and a much wanted member in the house.
The eleventh letter is L. This is associated
with LOVE YOURSELF. When you love yourselves, people around you also love you.
You need to accept yourselves in whatever condition you are. You should value
self-respect and have high self-esteem. However, it should not be confused with
being arrogant or stubborn. It only means that you need to start valuing
yourselves. If you do not value yourselves, soon you will find others
ridiculing you.
The twelfth letter is D. This is associated
with DOWN TO EARTH PERSONALITY. Remember, the achievements from your past can
only decorate the walls of the house in the form of certificates and medals.
They do not carry the same impact once you cross sixty. So, instead of harping on your illustrious past, better focus on
the present and live in the present. Develop a down to Earth personality. In
simple words, this means do not throw tantrums around about your liking and
disliking. Please do not be fussy about particular things, and do not stick to
your preferences. Be prepared to take everything in your stride and enjoy
life.
The thirteenth letter is A. This is
associated with ADJUST TO SURROUNDINGS. You might have spent your entire life
in a particular fashion. However, now you need to adjust to the revised
circumstances. Remember that every time things will not happen according to
your liking. Sometimes you may have to adjust and accommodate with something,
which does not happen according to your wishes. So, adjust rather than
complain. Adjusting with others will make you a lovable personality and make
everyone happy. The adjustments could be in small matters like food
preferences, TV program preferences, sleeping time preferences or in big
matters like the place to stay and people with whom to stay.
The fourteenth letter is G. This is
associated with GIVE UP HABITS. You might have developed certain habits over
the years. It would be worthwhile to start giving up your habits one by one,
because habits make you slaves, and unfulfilled habits bring disappointment. It
is better to be bound by as fewer habits to avoid any disappointment. Habits
like smoking and drinking are to be targeted first as they are detrimental to health. A person with minimum requirements in life is most likely
to be very happy. One should aim to be in that category.
The fifteenth letter is E. This is associated
with EXPECTATIONS. If you want to spend some happy moments during the last few
years of your life, please do not expect anything from anyone. That is the
secret key to happiness. With changing times, people too change and they no
longer tend to do things for you, which they did happily at one time. Having
high expectations is the root cause of unhappiness in this world. One should
have expectations, but they should be revised as per the changing times. The
expectations should be realistic and practical.
Friends, these fifteen advices of the “WISDOM
OF GOLDAGE” may appear pessimistic to you. However, this is the truth, which
you have to eventually accept. No one in this world has been successful in remaining young
forever. Every minute, as I talk with you, the older generation is handing over
this Earth, bit by bit, to the younger generation, to govern and manage it.
Therefore, friends, instead of cribbing about
golden age, accept it gracefully and learn to redefine your objectives in
life.”
…
This
is an excerpt from the book ‘Life Version 2’ written by Suhas Inamdar. This
book is available on Amazon, Flip Kart and Infibeam. 
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