Earlier this year, my Grandmother turned 90.
I am very lucky and very grateful that she is in my life, and she is incredibly wise.
Over the years, I have learned a lot from her words of wisdom and I wanted to share some if it with you.
Here is a list of some of the things my Gran has taught me …
1. What other people think of me is none of my business.
My Grandmother has helped me realise that life is too short to get caught up worrying what other people are thinking of you. This is one of the biggest things that can stop people being true to themselves. A guy might be a passionate artist but not do it for fear of what his mates might think. At the end of the day, great friend’s just want you to be happy so stop worrying what they think or say about you
2. It won’t last
Good times don’t last, and bad times don’t last.
3. Relationships are the number one thing to have when you are older
To have a friend is to be one first. Take time to keep relationships alive, because when you are older (after you no longer have any desire at all for career or financial goals), this is all that matters. No point being wealthy and lonely
4. Build relationships with younger people
Younger people will become your friends when you are older. Most of my Gran’s friends her age are dead, and she is very active with people 20 and 30 years younger than her.
5. Life is about having fun … so do what you love
My Grandmother has always taught me that success is about how much fun you have, so fill your days with fun and laughter. Don’t wait for the future to do this
6. Sing and Laugh
When I visit her, I always hear my Grandmother in the shower singing. It’s hard to not be happy when you sing (unless of course it’s a sad song!)
7. Don’t JUDGE others
Treat the beggar in the street the same as the most important person you know. Everyone is after the same thing – to be loved.
8. The only thing that matters is today …
… so stop worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. Before you know it, you will be 90 and realize you can’t undo the past and there is no point worrying about the future. Act as if you are 90 every day!
9. Never die wondering
You will be dead soon. Why would you allow fear to stop you living an amazing life that is full of love, laughter and living.
Would love to know what you think of my Gran’s lessons, and if you have any words of wisdom from your own Grandparents, I’d love for you to share them below.
My great Aunt always used to recite this little poem …
“Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But, she with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but she would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till she’d tried.
So she buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On her face. If she worried she hid it.
She started to sing as she tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and she did it.”
My mom is turning 95 and we are flying 3000 miles to be with her for her Oct. birthday. The most important thing I have learned from her is that doing our best is enough – whatever that best may be on any given day. She also reminded me of something I already know and try to practice: appreciation and gratefulness. She survived breast and colon cancer and learned how very precious each moment of every day of our lives is!
Such profound words of advice from your Grandmother Andrew. You, you’re family and this community are lucky to able to share in her wisdom. If you stop and think about it, I don’t think there is one of us who has not been guilty of worrying too much about what people think of about us.
Given we share this planet with every other human being I suppose the key is finding the balance – not worrying too much, but at the same time, not be ignorant and arrogant to the needs and concerns of other people.
I love these little reminders that help to keep us all “in check” as we journey along the ever changing paths we find ourselves on. There is one additional “reminder” however, that my mother used to tell me which has really become a part of the fabric of who I have become… which is always a “work in progress” and that is: “Consider the source”. This is always relevant but is particularly useful as it pertains to information procured online.
I would love to meet your grandmother. She is obviously an amazing and wise woman. You are very blessed to still have her in your life. Please let her know that she is appreciated beyond measure.
Our family saying was: “Fools and children shouldn’t see things half done.”
I used to present seminars on goal setting many years ago.
In one goal setting seminar I asked all the people to write down at least 20 exciting goals they would like to achieve for themselves in the next 12 months. I then encouraged them to pick one goal that really inspired them and write a list of 10 action steps they could use to get closer to achieving that one goal. I asked everyone to pick one of these action steps and take action on it within the next 24 hours.
One of the people in this goal setting seminar was my 75 year old grandmother. (She had paid good money to come to this seminar and I noticed she was writing furiously and taking lots of notes.)
I asked her at the end of the seminar what was the one goal she had picked. She told me that it had always been her dream to drive a car. (For her whole life she had always been driven everywhere by other people as she had never learnt how to drive.)
I was a bit surprised by this and asked her what her next action step was going to be. She winked at me and told me I would find out tomorrow.
The next day, she went down to a car dealer and paid cash for a brand new car.
(Remember she had never driven a car in her entire life.)
My Grandmother then took 18 months of driving lessons (with some very patient driving instructors) and finally received her driving license. For the next 12 years she had the time of her life driving her car around the busy city.
My grandmother taught me many valuable lessons before she passed away at age 89.
The most important lesson was that if there is something you want you must take action.
My great Aunt always used to recite this little poem …
“Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But, she with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but she would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till she’d tried.
So she buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On her face. If she worried she hid it.
She started to sing as she tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and she did it.”
Thank you x
Beautiful. Just beautiful. 😉
Brilliant. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing Andrea and enjoy your Grandmothers 95th.
Thanks Suzanne and I will certainly let her know. She doesn’t have access to email and internet so she hasn’t even seen this post (that is another amazing thing about that generation – that they are using internet)
Brilliant. What a great story. Thanks Graham and I hope you are going well over there in New Zealand.
Thank you Andrew and your Grand mother for such a inspiring words of wisdom! I live by my grand mothers wisdom to 🙂 one that truly take me out of the rat’ any time without miss :
“Let it be what is going to be” <3
Before my grandmother moved out of her home at 92 I did a video interview with her. I learnt a whole lot of things about her life that I didn’t previously know which was wonderful, and now is a great memory to show my children.
One bit of advice she did give me. “Eat well (3 meals a day) and look after yourself…”
Thanks for sharing this. Its so simple and so wise.
What country are you from? sadly, the American culture is a very frustrated
and an angry economy so, our society (at times me) doesn’t value these
philosophies or at least, not very popular if you do.