Old folks' wisdom and regrets

Apparently a survey was done in the US where old folks in the winter of their lives were asked if they could live their lives all over again, what would they do differently.

As to be expected, the researchers got a slew of different answers but three key themes kept cropping up. They were:

1. Be more thoughtful about what they were doing: Instead of doing things just as a matter of course (as most people do), they wished they spent some time pondering about the things they did during the various stages of their lives. That would have helped them realize whether what they were doing was meaningful or not and thus help them make better life and career choices along the way.

2. Take more risks: We creatures of habit. We like our comfort zones. And we are risk averse. That is our nature. But growth and development doesn't happen by playing it safe. Big rewards - not just financially but emotionally - comes with taking risks. In looking back at their lives, many old folks felt they wasted opportunities presented to them simply because they weren't willing to take risks. In retrospect, they wished they did.

3. Create a legacy: This is related to both items 1 and 2. Instead of going through life mindlessly, stuck in our comfort zones, and really achieving nothing of significance, these old folks wished they had worked hard to build something bigger than themselves. Something impactful that they can leave behind.

Instead of waiting 'til the winter of your lives to have such wisdom and regrets, all of us can try to benefit from the results of the survey done on old folks. Be thoughtful, take risks, build a legacy. Then, our lives would be more fulfiling and meaningful.