People are my inspiration. For To Do as well as for Not to Do.

Just back from people’s observatory, my mind made a mental and spiritual commitment to avoid doing a number of things when I’ll embrace seniority. My guess is that my mind will keep adding or deleting items from the list. But there always room for a good start. So, I decree that my senior years shall be free of:

1. Lipstick. Leaving traces of lipstick on my grandchildren foreheads? No way!
2. Dyed hair. White is beautiful! Kind of cloudish!
3. Gossiping: being caught up in the poisonous net of word of mouth is taking away precious time to enjoy the calm years preceding the entry into another stage. Occasional gossips about what a neighbor was wearing at the Sunday Mass or Yoga class (depending on my preferences in the years to come) are allowed :).
4. Envy: especially targeted at younger people. We all have our plates full of what we order life to bring us.
5. Excessive fashionism: occasional Armani bags allowed :).
6. Commitments to a job to hate. I’ve witnessed too many seniors being torn between a self-imposed commitment to other family members and the need to go to a job that takes away too much energy. Baking with joy, working with kids, gardening are allowed and fully encouraged.
7. Financial worries for descendants. My dear descendants, I know you are bright, smart, entrepreneurial and able to multiply everything I have put together for your and other’s good.
8. Arrogance. Who would want to listen to or talk to an arrogant octogenarian?!
9. Solitude.
10. Being stuck in unhealthy relationships of any kinds.
11. Regrets, of any kind.
12. A grandiose sense of self-importance.

I have still to think about scuba diving, ice scatting and bungee jumping 🙂