Getting older is not necessarily a bad thing. You can see things from a different perspective than someone who is still young. More often than not, as an older person it is easier to see how doing or not doing something can have impact far beyond the immediate moment.
When you are young and focused in living in the moment, it is easy to get lost in the moment. As you age it is easier to step back and think about something before you act.
That does not mean you always make the right decision, but it does mean that more often than not you have made a careful consideration of the implications of your action or inaction. At least you are going forward with some idea of what might happen. I have found that to be far better than blindly making a decision.
Sometimes a little age helps one see the wisdom of letting nature take it course. Not trying to interfere in a situation which likely is already complicated enough can be a wise decision.
As hard as it has been to learn, I now know that my opinion is not needed on every decision that my grown kids make. They need to learn to make their own decisions and learning to be an adults often requires that they do so.
I have also learned that trying to be genuinely helpful to people is its own reward. These days that is something I cling to since so many people expect lots of free information and help, but they rarely even take the time to say thanks.
With that thought goes the idea that if you do not expect much in return that any kind thought that comes back your way is a special treat to be treasured.
By now I am very clear on the concept that I am in charge of my life and that a number of people are dependent on me continuing to be successful. I persist in believing that with my best efforts I will not let them down.
I have also learned by now that there are people out there who are far more interested in helping themselves than in helping others. They can be a mere annoyance as in the case of people who persist in having an opinion on everything even when their opinion adds nothing to the discussion or even misses the point of the discussion.
Then there are some people who through their actions try to do harm to others. You find these people in all walks of life. Their sense of their own importance and the unimportance of others is one of the great challenges of life. They can harm you mentally, physically, and financially. Some of them are in positions of power and can do lots of damage. There are no easy solutions to staying out of harm's reach if you run into one of these pests of humanity.
Finally I have found that good intentions followed by reasonable actions will get me through most situations. I try not to think badly of someone, but I also will not be trampled by someone just because they think trampling others is fun.
I have learned that you must stand up for what you believe if you are to sleep soundly at night. Sometimes that means confronting a challenge head on even if you know you might lose the battle. Often standing up to prevent a wrong will give others courage. Many times you win the war even if you lose your battle.
To me there is no worst case scenario when you know that you have done the right thing.
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