“Cheat Sheet”: 72-Year-Old Imparts 32 Pearls Of Wisdom To Navigate Life’s Challenges

Life is a journey, and the more years we spend “traveling”, the bigger our baggage of life lessons gets. Needless to say, after decades on this earth, it can become quite hefty, but that’s what makes it a great source of ideas, tips, and inspiration for other voyagers out there.

Atlanta-based fractional sales executive Louie Bernstein recently discussed his experiences on the ‘Life Hacks’ subreddit; but instead of delving deeper into the subtleties of successful sales strategies, he chose to share the life lessons he’s learned over the 72 years spent on this earth. Bernstein’s list of 32 things encouraged quite a few redditors to discuss their experiences, too, resulting in a rather inspiring collection of ideas from all of those involved.

Bored Panda got in touch with Louie Bernstein and he was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about the list, so continue scrolling to find his thoughts in the text below.

Image source: DaCmanLou

While each of us embarks on a journey of their own, some advice can be rather universal, especially when it comes to motivation. Take tip #4 on Bernstein’s list—becoming a lifelong learner—for instance, which the OP himself suggested to be the most important one; whether a person is a student only starting to pave their way towards certain goals in life or a well-accomplished scholar who’s achieved many of theirs already, the importance of learning remains relevant for both.

“Being a lifelong learner keeps your mind active and engaged, and keeps you curious. I’ve always believed that being curious is an important component of success,” Bernstein told Bored Panda in a recent interview.

“These lessons are some of the ones that really resonated with me and stuck with me the longest,” he added, pointing out that they were all based on personal experiences.

“I knew I wanted to write something about my life on my 72nd birthday. You never know if it will be the last one and I’m trying to give back as much as possible,” said the OP, who has since made a video discussing the 32 motivating thoughts he previously shared with his fellow redditors.

He also admitted that saying that he was amazed at the response from the Reddit community would be an understatement. “90% of the responses were very kind and generous, and there were a lot of great additions. I’m thinking of making a list of those!” he told Bored Panda.

According to the cognitive behavioral psychotherapist Dr. John Crimmins, motivation plays a significant role in people’s lives, as it directs them towards accomplishing their goals—be it in a personal or a professional setting—and influences the level of effort or resistance they put into certain tasks and activities. Moreover, motivated people are arguably more likely to engage in positive behaviors, such as exercising regularly or meeting deadlines, just to name a couple.

“What’s more, not having a sufficient amount of motivation might trigger feelings of apathy, procrastination, and eventually low performances,” Crimmins continued in a piece for The Behaviour Institute.

While motivation is important in every aspect of life, it is arguably especially relevant when it comes to work or studying, and similar structured growth opportunities. According to Zippia, a motivated employee, for example, is nearly 90% less likely to resign and roughly 17% more productive than an unmotivated one. Data suggests that the things that motivate them the most are recognition, inspiring work, and flexibility together with autonomy respectively.

While motivation is undoubtedly an important factor encouraging people to engage in all sorts of positive behaviors, so is inspiration, especially when it comes from an inspiring person in one’s circles.

A 2014 study on ‘Why Inspiration Matters?’ emphasized that participating in activities with inspiring individuals tends to positively reflect in opportunities for change and development. “Exposure to stimulating experiences such as networking, observing recent trends around us, involving in decision-making and solving problems and being around high-spirited persons represent inspirational opportunities that enhance our learning and ability to innovate,” the research read in part. “These inspirational experiences can motivate people and help our societies integrate newly generated ideas into actions thus producing desired outcomes while enhancing our communities’ readiness towards change.”

A global report from 2021 found that for as many as four-in-five individuals, inspiration is more important than sleep, physical intimacy, or personal treats. As for the sources of inspiration, based on the answers of 16,000 respondents, the main ones respectively were the great outdoors, movies and TV, stories of honesty, integrity and kindness, and traveling.

Chances are, fellow redditors found Bernstein’s post to be a source of inspiration, too. In the comments under the post, some of them thanked the OP for sharing his insight, while others added advice of their own to the list.