They survived the Great Depression, WWII, Vietnam, 9/11, the financial crisis, social media(!), and six pandemics. And probably a divorce or two.
I always want to be the dumbest person in the room. Now we’re all in virtual rooms so it’s trickier.
But the people in the attached graphic have been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. To read their advice is invaluable to me as I try to struggle and muddle my way through my own fears now.
The thing about a lot of self-help is that it’s like smoking crack (from what I hear). It gives you a spike of “feel good” and then you feel worse than ever.
But right now it’s important to find the advice that works and stick to it.
To ask: How can I be the hero of my story in this period? There are too many victims.
Too many people fighting in the store over the last roll of toilet paper.
Being the hero means taking the call to action (I’m going to be healthy, I’m going to help others, I’m going to be creative) and then finding your peers along the way, while encountering and defeating bigger and bigger problems.
And then finally “returning” to what will be a new normal, a better person for your adventures. And using that experience to help us become a closer society in this new normal.
Paying attention to the wisdom and advice from those who survived these past 100 years is also a good reminder. A reminder that the elderly have played such a valuable role in creating who we are.
They are a continued blessing to life on this planet.
Thank you for LIVING.
James Altucher is the author of the bestselling book Choose Yourself, editor at The Altucher Report and host of the popular podcast, The James Altucher Show, which takes you beyond business and entrepreneurship by exploring what it means to be human and achieve well-being in a world that is increasingly complicated. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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