WISDOM OF THE ELDERLY - WITH ORTHODOX CORRECTIONS!

 

I have added my Orthodox Teachings to some of the following words of wisdom

 

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

 

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

 

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

 

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

 

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

 

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and

parents will. Stay in touch.

 

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

 

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

 

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

 

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

(NEVER GET ANGRY WITH GOD... ALWAYS THANK HIM FOR EVERYTHING - EVEN THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS THAT BRING US CLOSER TO HIM AND GIVE US THE WISDOM OF LIFE'S EXPERIENCE... GOD NEVER EVER CAUSES SUFFERING, DEATH, DESTRUCTION OR ANYTHING EVIL OR HARMFUL TO US... THAT IS ALWAYS THE RESULT OF HUMAN ACTIONS OR THE EVIL ONE WHO SEEKS OUR SPIRITUAL DESTRUCTION!)

 

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

 

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

(ENJOY THE PLEASURES AND BLESSING OF LIFE BUT DO NOT OVER INDULGE OR OBSESS!! SELF-DENIAL OF THE FLESH MAKES US STRONGER & MORE SPIRITUAL.)

 

 

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

(CELEBRATE EACH DAY AS THOUGH IT WAS YOUR LAST DAY ON EARTH... DON'T HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH ANYONE!)

 

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

(THE ABILITY TO WEEP IS A BLESSING - SOMETIMES WE BECOME TOO STUBBORN AND SPIRITUAL HARDENED TO EXPRESS OUR SORROW... IT IS A JOYFUL RELEASE TO SHED TEARS OF PAIN, REPENTANCE, JOY, SADNESS, SORROW, ETC... THANK GOD FOR TEARS! THEY WASH OUR SOULS CLEAN... NEVER BE ASHAMED OF YOUR TEARS...)

 

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

(ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE - THERE IS SO MUCH - BUT DON'T HANKER AFTER WHAT YOU WISH YOU HAD - SOMETIMES WE DO NOT REALISE THAT THE THINGS WE WANT ARE NOT ALWAYS THE THINGS THAT WILL BRING US HAPPINESS, PEACE OR JOY!)

 

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

(ANYTHING THAT CANNOT STAND THE EXPOSURE OF GOD'S DIVINE LIGHT AND TRUTH IS NOT WORTHWHILE. AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE!)

 

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks. (LIVE IN THE MOMENT AND APPRECIATE THE TIME WE HAVE NOW... YESTERDAY IS GONE... & TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME!! AND ONLY GOD KNOWS...)

 

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

 

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

 

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

(THAT IS WHY GOD ALLOWS US TO HAVE ADVERSITY IN LIFE - IT'S CONSEQUENCES ARE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT GREAT BLESSINGS AND CAUSE PERSONAL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER...)

 

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

 

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. (DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT AND WHETHER IT IS TO THE DETRIMENT OF ANYONE ELSE!!)

 

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

(THIS LIFE IS NOT A REHEARSAL ... IT IS THE REAL DEAL... WE ONLY HAVE A SET NUMBER OF YEARS, MONTHS, WEEKS AND DAYS TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR ETERNITY - DON'T WASTE A MOMENT ON UNPRODUCTIVE - UNFRUITFUL - NONSENSE!)

 

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

(DO WHATEVER YOU CAN AND TRUST GOD - LEAVE THE REST UP TO HIS DIVINE WILL!)

 

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

(ENJOY, HAVE FUN AND CELEBRATE EVERY MOMENT!)

 

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

 

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

 

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years,will this matter?'

 

27. Always choose life.

 

28. Forgive everyone everything.

(FORGIVENESS IS THE MOST POWERFUL VIRTUE IN THE WORLD. IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE BY DIVINE GRACE - SO WITH PRAYER, GOD MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO FORGIVE AND TO BE FORGIVEN. FORGIVENESS IS THE MOST LIBERATING VIRTUE FOR IT SETS THE SOULS FREE OF THOSE WHO FORGIVE AND THOSE WHO ARE FORGIVEN!!)

 

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

(GOD HAS GIVEN US ALL FREE WILL... WE MUST CONCERN OURSELVES WITH OUR OWN SPIRITUAL CONDITION - NOT THAT OF OTHERS WHO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEMSELVES. IF WE SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING AT AND CORRECTING OUR INNER BEING, WE WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO JUDGE ANYONE ELSE!!)

 

 

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

(TIME AND PRAYER FOR GOD ENABLES US ALL TO HEAL ... SOME OF US HEAL FASTER THAN OTHERS... EACH IN OUR OWN TIME AND ACCORDING TO OUR OWN SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES.)

 

 

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

(IN THIS LIFE, THERE IS ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE AND EVERYTHING IN LIFE ENDS SOONER OR LATER... BUT IN ETERNITY THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF CHANGE AND NO OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT ANY ERRORS... DEPENDING ON THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION IN WHICH WE DIE, SO SHALL WE SPEND ALL ETERNITY - FOREVER. SO CORRECT WHATEVER IS POSSIBLE NOW FOR WE NEVER KNOW HOW LONG WE HAVE TO DO SO...)

 

 

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

 

 

33. Believe in miracles.

 

(DIVINE MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING ALL THE TIME... SIMPLY STUDY YOURSELF... YOUR HEART BEATS... YOUR LUNGS BREATH.... YOUR BRAIN IS FUNCTIONING FASTER THAN LIGHT... IT IS A MIRACLE THAT WE EXIST ... EVERYTHING IS INDEED MIRACULOUS... FROM CONCEPTION -WOW! - TO DEATH - THE SEPARATION OF BODY AND IMMORTAL SOUL! )

 

 

34. God loves you because of Who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

 

 

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

 

 

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

 

 

37. Your children get only one childhood.

 

 

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

 

(LOVE IS THE GREATEST VIRTUE WE RECEIVE FROM GOD AND IT IS THE ONE VIRTUE THAT IS NECESSARY FOR ETERNAL LIFE. IF WE DO NOT HAVE LOVE - WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT ALL!!)

 

 

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

 

 

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

(NO MATTER HOW BADLY OFF WE THINK WE MAY BE, THERE ARE ALWAYS SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE FAR WORSE OFF! BE GRATEFUL AND THANK GOD FOR HIS GREAT MERCY TO YOU!!)

 

 

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

(GOD ALWAYS GIVES US MORE THAN WE NEED SO THAT WE MAY SHARE WITH OTHERS ... IT IS OUR CONSTANT TEST AND SACRED DUTY TO HELP ONE ANOTHER BOTH SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY... ON THIS VIRTUE ALONE, WE WILL BE JUDGED SEVERELY!! WE MUST BE AS GENEROUS TO OUR FELLOW SINNERS AS GOD IS TO US - SAINT OR SINNER!)

 

 

42. The best is yet to come.

(THAT IS SO TRUE! AND THE TASTE I HAD WAS SO GLORIOUS, I PRAY THAT I AM WORTHY OF ETERNAL LIFE!! WOW!!)

 

 

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

 

 

44. Yield.

(OUR EGOS AND STUBBORNNESS CAUSE MORE DAMAGE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN LIFE!)

 

 

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

(THIS LIFE IS INDEED A MOST PRECIOUS GIFT FOR GOD HAS PROVIDED US WITH A TIME TO PREPARE OURSELVES SPIRITUALLY SO THAT WE MAY BECOME WORTHY CITIZENS OF HIS HEAVENLY KINGDOM AND SO THAT WE CAN CORRECT OUR ERRORS AND WEAKNESSES - AND SO THAT WE MAY EXPERIENCE AND GAIN AGAPE... HIS TRUE, PURE AND DIVINE LOVE THAT MAKES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE - EVEN THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE THINGS OF THIS LIFE...

GOD HAS GIVEN US THIS TIME IN ORDER TO REGAIN OUR LIKENESS TO HIM AND TO ENJOY A CLOSE AND PERSONAL FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM - EVERYTHING THAT HE INTENDED FOR US SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CREATION - AND EVERYTHING HE MADE US TO BE...

GOD WANTS EVERY SOUL HE HAS EVER CREATED TO BE WITH HIM IN HIS DIVINE AND ETERNAL KINGDOM! TRULY THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL IS GOD'S LOVE FOR US!)

 

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

(MY BELOVED LORD, IN HIS INFINITE WISDOM, HAS GRANTED ME THE MOST LOVING AND WONDERFULLY SPECIAL FAMILY ANYONE COULD EVER DESIRE. THANK YOU LORD FOR THE GREAT ABUNDANCE OF BLESSINGS THOU HAS BESTOWED UPON ME AND ALL MY SPIRITUAL CHILDREN WHOM I LOVE SO DEARLY.)