“I would tell everyone to appreciate everything, but it’s impossible to do that. So just appreciate as much as you can, you’ll thank me later” – Bruce, 83.

Bruce offers a piece of gold he feels is more realistic to achieve. Realising it is impossible for everyone to appreciate everything, he thinks a compromise of appreciating what you can is fair and achievable.
Appreciation is a powerful thing. It is all too easy to take things for granted, a little bit of appreciation can go a long way.
Just like we do here on Age Old Gold, appreciation lets people know they are important and their existence matters. While we look to appreciate the knowledge and wisdom of the older generation, it is up to each individual to show their appreciation in any way they can. Appreciation can be as simple as a “thank you”, or just listening.
Appreciate not only the people around you, but the every day experiences you have. Appreciate the opportunities you are given, and take nothing for granted.

Here at Age Old Gold, we have a feeling everyone will be appreciating Bruce’s advice. Thank you, Bruce.

“Never look down on anyone, we are all human and we all deserve the same treatment” – Jill, 80.

Every single person you meet has a story. They have a whole life before they met you, with many experiences that have shaped who they are today.
It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you’ve done or who you are, Jill is adamant that we are all human and we deserve to be treated equally.
This piece of gold is relevant to every single human being, worldwide. There are too many occasions where we see discrimination due to race, gender, sexual orientation and wealth.
Everybody, no matter how old, or how poor deserves to be treated the same as we would a young wealthy person. You never know the full story behind a face, so never look down on it.

We are no better or worse than anyone else, we are all human.

Grandparent’s day.

This Grandparent’s day, give the older generation the attention they deserve. Ask them for advice, listen to their stories and soak up their wisdom.
Just like we would on Mother’s day and Father’s day, let your grandparents know just how much you appreciate them.

“Go with your gut, it’s usually always right” – Irene, 71.

Your gut is a funny thing. It gives you feelings or warmth, butterflies, and even danger. Irene’s advice is to go with your gut, because there’s a reason why you feel that way. Your gut feeling isn’t a random occurrence, it is a combination of thoughts, experience and feelings that lead you to feel that way.
Going with your gut is trusting yourself, and that is a piece of gold which Irene says you must hold on to.

“Give a stranger a compliment, it always means so much to them” – Gwen, 64

A stranger complimenting you always stands out more than when it comes from friends/family. Taking a second out of your day to say something like “hey, I like your sweater”, will give a stranger an extra little boost that could really brighten their day.
Nobody expects compliments, let alone interactions from strangers, and Gwen outlines the importance of making someones day that much better with a compliment. It always comes as a surprise, and is always welcome.

Give them a smile to top it off.

“Books. Read many, many books” – Audrey, 72.

Books and literature are designed to stimulate your mind. They draw out your imagination and cause you to think, reflect and create a picture in your head of the words you are reading. Audrey’s age old gold is a wonderful piece of wisdom, where she hopes to pass her love of reading on to others. From being read to as a child by your parents, to reading engaging pieces of literature as you grow older, the love of reading is a powerful thing.
Fiction, non-fiction and even picture books are brain stimulators. The best time to read is just before bed, as it settles your mind and relaxes you.
Make the most of the wonderful literature we have available to us.

“Always meet deadlines” – Alex, 61.

This piece of advice from Alex is just as relevant to life as it is to a career. Throughout school, meeting deadlines is vital for your success. Assignments, projects and being on time for exams determines the success you have in your scholastic life. Transitioning into secondary study, deadlines are even more important. The impact deadlines have on your university life can make or break your degree.

In your chosen career, meeting deadlines determines the quality of your work and how trustworthy you are. Deadlines set the expectations of those around you, and failed deadlines mean a loss of trust and dependence. People will depend on you  to meet deadlines, it will build you as a trustworthy and dependable person, and these are great qualities to have.

“Just do what makes you happy” – Hilary, 67.

This is the most simple piece of advice, but so easily forgotten. Doing what makes you happy is the key for being happy, says Hilary. All too often we do things that drag us down and unnecessarily bring stress upon our lives. Don’t forget to take time out of your day and do anything that makes you happy.

Be it drawing, listening to music, conversing with friends or a playing games, doing what makes you happy is the easiest way to stay happy.

“Family means everything. Be kind to them” – Ross, 71.

A family is the first thing you get in your life. Love, appreciate and be kind to them. Ross talks about being kind to those who have helped get to where you are now. Repay them in any way you can, and give them all you have. Although you don’t chose your family, you chose how you treat them and Ross says it should always be with absolute kindness.

As a larger lesson, treat everyone with kindness, not just your family. Be kind, and you should expect kindness in return.

“Listen to the radio, read the newspaper, watch the news. If you do this, you can have a conversation with anyone” – Patricia, 60.

Struggling to hold conversations and strangers? Keep up to date with current affairs.
Patricia stresses the usefulness of being knowledgeable of world events, as this is something we have in common with everybody.

As we try and find common ground to create conversations, asking questions surrounding the current political climate, social issues and the news of the day is a great way to find out more about the person you’re talking to, and how they hold themselves in conversations. Listening to the radio, Patricia says, also helps you know what people are talking about these days. Talkback stations such as 2gb in Sydney are a platform for everyone to voice their opinions and hold discussions. Listen to what they are saying, and emulate that in conversations.