The Secret of Life: Wisdom from a 97 Year Old Man

Recently, I officiated at the funeral of Harold Godlin and was deeply inspired. 

At the funeral, his grandson, Daniel shared that he often asked his grandfather, “What’s your secret sauce? How do you maintain such a positive outlook on life and stay so motivated and vivacious?” 

His grandfather always answered, ”Every night before bed, I read a page from the Bible and then I close my eyes and I thank the Lord for all of the blessings in my life. And I never make it to the end of the list.”
 
What was on the list? 

Daniel shared, “Family, of course, dear friendships and a roof over his head. But my grandfather always went deeper than that. Whether it was appreciating the vibrant flowers that bloomed in the spring, the beauty of a snow, marveling at the human body, how it heals itself from a cut, how it uses food to sustain and nourish us, how the air we breathe travels through the windpipe and not the esophagus. He thought about the things NO ONE thinks about. But Grandpa did. He lived by gratitude.” 
  
Harold, who lived to 97, was blessed not only with length of years but he understood the secret of life which is length of days. 
  
We cannot control how many years we will live but we can choose to fill each day with meaning and impact. It starts with developing an attitude of gratitude so we marvel at the simplest of blessings. 
 

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. Marcus Aurelius. 

Our days will no longer blend into each other but we will seize each morning with the goal of making today worthy of future memory. 

Imagine seeing the world in a way that each night, we go to sleep never making it to the end of our gratitude list. We can all do it. 

Start with one practice TODAY. Start a gratitude journal. Write in it every day. Don’t repeat the same thing over and over. Review your list every day. Count your blessings.

Live Inspired every day. Open your heart to all of the blessings in your life and let them flow through you. 

Everyone whom you will meet will be blessed by you, by your eyes, your smile, your touch and just by your presence. Let the gratitude overflow into blessings all around you.

When we go to sleep at night, may we be blessed to never run out of reasons to say “Thank YOU!” 

To learn more about cultivating an ever flowing grateful and blessed life, schedule a free 10 minute consultation with me https://calendly.com/rabbicohen-4/10-minute-legacy-academy-consultation or visit http://www.rabbidanielcohen.com