Age happiness: surprising success stories of older people Bashny.Net

In its 90 years of Willard Campbell is very busy: he grows roses absolutely free of charge and distributes them to residents of their town. He delivers bouquets to the hospital, in offices and in shops. Regularly and completely without cause. Why? “I'm just glad,” he replies.

 





At 65, retired, a former carpenter Willard Campbell came up with his voluntary duty.

“I had to do, he explains. — I was very afraid to sit at home doing nothing”. Willard made it a rule every week to bring patients to the local hospital small bunches of roses. Patients were happy, smiling, and promised speedy recovery.

To see grateful smiles was so nice and roses, time and energy remained so much that he began to give flowers to the doctors, office staff and owners of shops. In the town of lake placid (Florida), home to around 1,800 people. So soon Willard Campbell began to bring flowers to work and dentist, and lawyer, and the grocer, and the Baker... And even the mistress of the flower shop. She is pleased to receive a bouquet. The task is “not to sit idle” was solved brilliantly: the collection, preparation and transportation of flowers held at the Willard 9-10 hours a day. And what happy hours!

To take care of the garden he helped the wife of the heads with which they have lived together for almost 70 years. Every day, until his death last year, the heads also received from her husband a bouquet of roses. She assured that every donated Willard bouquet for her special.

Recently, Willard Campbell had surgery on his hand, and now spends more time on leisure and to physical therapy. He slowly walks and hears worse every day but still goes to his garden and handing out roses to residents. Shortage of voluntary helpers had not.

Now Willard in the garden with 150 rose bushes. Accurately count how many roses he has given over the past 25 years, it is impossible. According to a rough estimation — more than half a million. Even harder to calculate how many people it this way made me happy. Yes, probably, and need not be considered.





When Walter green was 70 years old, he began the largest, most important and weirdest project in my life. Walter decided to seek out all those who by one reason or another, was grateful, and personally tell each of them "thank you."

This journey changed his life.

It all started with the fact that Walter green, a 70-year-old pensioner, found out about the sudden death of the popular American TV presenter Tim Rosseta. Walter didn't know him personally, but always with pleasure listened to its transmission and believed that they influenced his life.

"Then I remembered about his father, who died when I was 17, and about how much I don't have time to tell him, says Walter. And then I realized that I didn't want to go without thanking all of those on me anyway affected!"

Walter green took a notebook and wrote the names of everyone he would like to say "thank you". And went on the road.

He found an investor who 40 years ago was not afraid to invest in his first business, and said to him "thank you." He found that person, that first drew him to philanthropic activities that brought him so much joy, and heartily thanked him. Visited an old friend who you have not seen for many years, and who 35 years ago gave him a surprisingly valuable tip that changed his life and thanked him for it. Said "thank you" to all my teachers and many students. Your doctor, your financial Advisor, friends, partners, colleagues.

The list Walter was 44, the youngest of which was 28 and the oldest 87 years. To personally thank each of them he had to drive across America to visit Mexico and even Africa.

Walter argues that each new encounter filled him with joy. "I had no idea how grateful I am to all these people and how much they influenced me, says Walter, And I never thought to thank them would be so simple, and that it brings such an incredible peace of mind. Now is the best time of my life."

In total, the "Journey of gratitude", as he calls it, took Walter for over a year. And when he returned home, he had probably the most important conversation.

"I thought 50 years of marriage I told my wife everything I could," he says, "But it turned out that this relationship meant more to me than I thought".

The result is that the Walter green in 70 years started a new life and career. He wrote about his journey, the book and now makes public lectures about how simple gratitude can make life happier.

"Each of you has a loved one who lives within 10 kilometers from your home, — he says. Nothing should go in and tell him what he means to you".

Walter Greene believes that each of us is very important to have time to do it.





The greater part of his life, Nina Mironov was a very serious and busy man. Involved in politics and administrative management, worked as officer and traveled to Russia, developing municipal governance. All of these classes were important to her and genuinely interesting.
But real happiness Nina Mironova were found only after fifty years. When I started to practice yoga.

Their familiarity with yoga, Nina Mironov started from a simple interest and immediately with a very complex and important practice of Vipassana. During Vipassana to 10 days ceases contact with the outside world and directs all his energy on self-knowledge. Nina Mironova meditated for hours every day and learned to listen to your body and to your inner feelings. Not the usual occupation for a man (everything else, PhD), which is almost my entire adult life spent among the official papers and meetings. After these ten days, Nina Mironov realized that yoga must continue, come what may.

Her before, it would seem that all was well: a great education, career, interesting job, a loving husband and children. But yoga is an amazing way made her even more happy. Much happier. "The difference between me present and still is that moments of happiness before often gave way to longer periods of tension, dissatisfaction with oneself and the surrounding world, — she explains. — With internal disharmony, I don't know how then to cope, blaming all circumstances, situations, other people. If something happened that did not meet my expectations from the world, I could be offended, to withdraw into yourself and, of course, to feel miserable. Now most of the time I spend in a happy state of acceptance of reality as it is. I am calm and believe that everything that happens around and in me leads only to good. This saves energy and gives strength to work, to doing".

64 Mironov decided to become a certified yoga teacher. "Pass all the tests to obtain the certificate, particularly the practical part, it was quite difficult, she says. — I had to try very hard". As she says, teaching not only gives her the joyful opportunity to share their knowledge with others, but also helps to understand something new for itself.

Now Nina Mironova 65 years old, she has three children and twelve grandchildren. It works almost more than twenty years ago, when engaged in questions of municipal management and was in the public service. Only now she spends her time not in the offices and conference halls, and in clubs of fans of yoga and Indian ashrams. She has a tighter schedule than before, and it does not bother. Because the secret of happiness, Nina Mironov has been found. "I make the choice to live in joy and happiness or to suffer. Only I bear responsibility for it. And I just make a choice in favor of happiness! The outside world ceased to exert a powerful influence on me".





In her 80s, Thelma Reeves have created a website whose main objective is to tell today's 65-year-old as bright and interesting to live the next 20 years.

Shortly before his 80th birthday Thelma Reeves found that in her environment there are many bright, active and interesting women of her age or even much older. And she, being a retired teacher, worried almost the Prime of his career: co-authored with her friend, she released the book "New adulthood" — what opportunities do the people over 65. With the huge number of women are still greatly worried about the age and I think that in 65 life ends. To resolve this injustice, Thelma Reeves has created a website where women aged 80 and older share their positive experiences and tell how to make life after 65 interesting and happy.

"The lives of our mothers and grandmothers was completely different. says Thelma. We don't have enough positive examples to follow, I want to talk about people, which is to navigate."

Although traditionally it is believed that people her age find it difficult to work on the Internet, Thelma Reeves has no difficulty in communicating with the computer. "It is necessary to use possibilities of the present time, — she said. — If you don't like to sit at the computer... pick up the tablet! The Internet allows you to communicate, and that is incredibly important in our age."

One of the main benefits of age, Thelma Reeves believes the opportunity to live in the present.

"Believe me, if you're around 65, you have still a lot of beauty. says Thelma. — View this time with anticipation and enjoy life, no matter how many years you may be. The only thing we can control is our present. So we need to enjoy life at any age".

P. S. And remember, just changing your mind — together we change the world! ©

Source: www.facebook.com/ageofhappiness.ru/photos/a.231934560247996.53041.229274687180650/551981394909976/