I rarely do book reviews and I would be lying if this was a book review.  It’s more a blog to support the fact that we should listen to our elders more closely.  They have lived a long life and built up a well of experiences, and it’s these we need to draw from.

The book that I’m referring to is “30 Lessons for Living“.

As a young man, the last person I wanted to listen to was my parents and/or grandparents.  What did they know of the challenges that I was and perhaps is facing?

It’s not like they have had the same problems as we do, but it’s more that they have faced similar experiences in their youth (and life) and we should be able to learn from them.

No, they did not have difficulties with configuring the AppleTV, challenges with daycare, credit card debt and smartphones, but they had to understand the technologies as they emerged and changed their lives … fairly quick in some areas.  Just consider the moon landing!

Most families back in the days had a more conser

I’ve ordered the book, but the summary of it looks very good already, and the few ‘free’ advice the offer are hitting the nail(s) on the head.

1. Always be honest. Avoid acts of dishonesty, both big and small.  Most people suffer from serious regret later in life if they have been less than “fair and square.”
2. Say yes to opportunities. When offered a new opportunity or challenge, you are much less likely to regret saying yes and more likely to regret turning it down.
3. Travel more. Travel while you can, sacrificing other things if necessary to do so. Most people look back on their travel adventures (big and small) as highlights of their lives and regret not having traveled more.
4. Choose a mate with extreme care. The key is not to rush the decision, taking all the time needed to get to know the prospective partner and to determine your compatibility over the long term.
5. Say it now. People wind up saying the sad words “it might have been” by failing to express themselves before it’s too late. Don’t believe the “ghost whisperers”— the only time you can share your deepest feelings is while people are still alive.

We need live life to the fullest and make more out of it.  We owe it to ourselves and the ones that love us.  The above points are simple and logical, so shouldn’t be too hard to change some of our daily behaviors.

Once I’ve finished the book I’ll let you know what other gems and golden nuggets our elders are passing on to us.

In the mean time, listen to your elders.  They do know what they are talking about.  I might even get my daughter to read this book, to see if she would start listening to me too.

PS; listening to your elders does NOT mean listening to ageing rock stars (Ozzy, Lemmy, Iggy, Rolling Stones, etc.) and other odd celebrities (Pete Burns, Donatella Versace, Carrot Top, etc.) who have lived life fully in a few negative ways.