18/10/2025
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18/10/2025
Share:
There is nothing more difficult than spending the final years of life in poor mental health, with a sick body and a weary mind. However, much of this can be prevented or eased by preparing early, paving the way for a happy, or at least relatively comfortable, old age.
The first and most important rule is to let go of the belief that life is fleeting and short, and that we must enjoy every second at any cost. I don’t dispute the truth behind this saying, but I reject the irresponsible belief in it, as it often leads some people to ignore the consequences of their actions and give free rein to their desires, overindulging in food and drink, smoking, staying up late, and falling into laziness.
These choices often come at a high cost in old age, with hospital beds, tubes inserted and removed from various parts of the body, and long periods of illness. In 2000, Dr. Roger Rosenblatt wrote a book titled “The Rules of Aging”, which served as a guide to dealing with the later years of life. He was sixty at the time. But a quarter of a century later, his experiences shifted his perspective. After turning 85, he wrote a second part, offering a summary of his insights. These were lessons that took years to learn and are relevant and applicable at any age.
1. No one is really thinking about you. Everyone, without exception, is focused on themselves. This may seem like a harsh truth, but it is also liberating. Constantly worrying about other people’s problems and tragedies can be draining. Feeling hurt because others don’t care about us is equally damaging. But the older we get, the more important it is to understand this.
2. Make friends with young people. They are energetic, enthusiastic, and full of life.
3. Avoid visiting the doctor unless absolutely necessary; even doctors give this advice.
4. Get a pet. Dogs and cats have their problems and often nap more than their owners, but it is hard to find any creature on Earth that will think you are more wonderful than your dog does.
5. Don’t believe the great things said about you. Even if they are true, and especially if they are true. This protects you from self-admiration and arrogance, which is always a good thing.
6. Everyone, without exception, is carrying some kind of pain. If you want to be kind, start now by easing the pain of others.
7. Listen to Bob Marley, Umm Kulthum, or Abdel Wahab. And don’t hesitate to sing, alone or with others.
8. Join a group or circle of friends, especially for men, since women are usually already part of one group or another. Socializing comes naturally to women, which is why the world might be better off if women ran its affairs. Women know how to coexist in groups. Men, on the other hand, tend to be solitary and static, like generals without wars, riding iron horses. They don’t naturally gather, but it is important for men to join groups with shared interests to avoid loneliness.
9. Although regret is a part of life, learn to live with it because it is inevitable.
10. Start and end your day by listening to your favorite music or songs, and don’t worry about what others might say.
By Ahmad alsarraf
e-mail: [email protected]
e-mail: [email protected]
