Life's Legacy: What's Yours?

I just read an update on the Legacy Project, run by Professor Karl Pillemer of Cornell
University (NY). Started in 2004, the Legacy Project is devoted to collecting and sharing practical advice on living from America’s elders. Read more about the project here: http://legacyproject.human.cornell.edu/sample-page/

There’s a book that’s just been published on the Project, 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans, which was named to the list of “Best Self-Help Books of 2011″ by Library Journal.

The Legacy Project is sponsoring a contest to find out what older generations can teach younger ones. Interested? Click here and enter before December 31: http://legacyproject.human.cornell.edu/give-your-advice/.

But the purpose of my post is not so much to publicize the Project or the contest, but to ask you what your advice would be. If you’re a member of the older generation (I’ll let you opt in or out of that category), share the most important life information you’d like to pass on. For those of you who are younger, pass on advice or information important to you that you’ve received from one of your “elders.” Limit yourself to 100 or so words.

Here’s mine:

I spend half of my time saying "life is short" and the other half saying

“life is long!" Short because it flies by and I need to seize the moment to

appreciate and enjoy it. Long because there's still an opportunity to prove

to myself that something isn't working and change it! Isn't it just a paradox

that life is how we see it, and then what we make of it?

New Year’s is a great time to reflect on this (and include the advice in our resolutions, perhaps?). Can’t wait to hear what you have to say!