Who are your elder heroes? Who inspires you on the next stage of our life journey?

In our interviews with hundreds of long-married couples about what works and what doesn't for a long and satisfying relationship... it turns out that our elders believe there's something close to a 'magic bullet' when it comes to deciding in a relationship: 'Should I stay or should I go?'

It is an inescapable fact: Senior citizens vote. They care. And as the years unfold, with the aging of the baby boomers and the resulting senior demographic explosion, this sector's voting power is going to reach unprecedented levels.

In our interviews with over 1,200 of the oldest Americans in the Legacy Project, we asked them in detail for their advice about parenting. In our hectic and driven society, parents look endlessly for programs, gimmicks and therapies to improve their relationships with children. But what do the elders say?

In our surveys of the life wisdom of the oldest Americans, I was particularly interested in their advice about finding a life partner and staying married. Many of the elders we talked with in the Legacy Project had been married for 30, 40, 50 or more years. Here are their three top lessons.

I recently had a stunning realization: We're about to lose one of the most precious resources in America. I'm not talking about oil, gas or rare metals. What we're about to lose Is the living presence of the elders who make up the Greatest Generation.

What happens when you receive life-changing advice? Do you take it all in at once? Or does one particular sentence or even phrase stay with you, becoming a part of the way you look at an issue or challenge?

"I'm really proud of you!" Many people in their 50s and 60s (or even older) have no one to say this to them anymore. But they deserve to have it said and to have it said sincerely.

Younger people are right to ask: Why should I spend time listening to old people's advice about how to live my life?

Yes, it's that time of year again. We're all seeing the lists of resolutions in the press and on various blogs. But I recall reading that only a tiny fraction of New Year's resolutions are ever acted upon. So I decided to review the data we gathered from more than 1,200 elders in the Legacy Project, who shared their lessons for living for future generations. Based on the surveys and interviews, here are resolutions in five areas of life that are worth a try in the new year. These suggestions from the oldest Americans may serve you better than the typical ones we make (and break) each year.

In contemporary society, we don't often ask our elders for advice. We're much more likely to talk to professionals, read books by pop psychologists or motivational speakers, or surf the internet for solutions to our problems. This is a serious mistake.