Have you ever spent any time out on Eastern Long Island?
Eastern Long Island is beautiful and it's old. There are homes that date back to the 1600s. Things are weathered. It's amazing. Think about if a barn could talk. What would the barn say?
When you look at a barn, it's all weathered, but in a way that is quite beautiful. No Botox. No implants. No fear of aging. Nothing.
Right now, as I'm driving, I'm staring at an old window. It's weathered, beautiful, and wise beyond its years. Yet in today's society, we're always searching for the magic pill to be younger. We don't want to be old.
A barn is full of wisdom, as is an old person. When you look at a beautiful, weathered barn, if it could tell the story of the families that lived there, of the things and events that it witnessed, of the storms it endured. Imagine the history it can share with you.
So this is what I want you to do...
I want you to look at an older person, just like you would look at an old, weathered barn. But here's the magical part. The older person can talk. They can share their wisdom. I don't have any elders in my life.
My mother passed away about a year ago. Her wisdom was crazy wisdom, but it was still wisdom. My father kicked the bucket when he was 57. My grandmother passed away when I was in my 20s or early 30s. My grandfather passed away in my 20s. I've lost all my elders. When that happens you lose the history that weathered barn would give you.
So look at your life. Look at the people in your life that are older than you. Make some time for the elderly. Listen to their life, their advice, their wisdom, the history, the things they've learned. Ask your grandmother or your mom, if they could do anything again, what would they do?
Ask them what was their biggest lesson. Ask them how it feels to be their age. Learn from your elders.
A friend of mine, Barry, is about 10 years older than me. He's a good friend who lives down in Cabo. He just went through a health scare where he had an ulcerate colitis or something, where he was bleeding every day and had to go on a massive steroids to re-build his entire gut.
He said to me, "The golden years really sucked. But I'm wiser than ever before. Live every moment as if it's your last, because you never know when it will be. We waste so much time."
Spend time today talking to the weathered barns in your life. Get the knowledge and the information from them, and use it to make your own life, incredible.
For some of my own wisdom you can check out my blog at www.davidwygant.com