Whenever anyone, anywhere interviews or even just speaks with someone in their 90s, age 100, or beyond who is living a healthy, happy life, the question of secrets inevitably comes up. As in, what’s your secret? How did you get to live so well for so long? In almost every article I’ve read, or we’ve written here on The 100 Year LifestyleⓇ each person asked that question almost always says that gratitude is one of their secrets. It’s literally a universal key to their healthy longevity.
Being aware of that, we’ve written several articles on the topic of gratitude itself, and having gratitude has always been a core value of The 100 Year LifestyleⓇ. But the reality is that having gratitude in the face of life and all it entails isn’t always easy. It’s not something that everyone automatically understands the value of, not necessarily something we all carry with us each moment of the day.
The Survey Says
In 2023 a study was conducted which asked 2,000 Americans a whole lot of questions regarding gratitude. Both the questions and the answers were interesting. To start, it found that the average person says “thank you” six times a day. I don’t know if six is a high, low, or middle of the road number, but I do know that gratitude shouldn’t be in any way measured solely by the number of times we say, “thank you.”
However, words are important as they represent thoughts. With that in mind, 62% of those surveyed defined gratitude as “the appreciation they hold for individuals who have made a positive impact on their lives.” Not bad, but not exactly clear either. So, you have gratitude for the barista who just made you the perfect latte and your mother who gave you life. Right?
The Issue
Despite all the detailed data that the survey collected, one could argue that the greatest takeaway is that gratitude is something we all experience personally, if not imperfectly. While there is no right or wrong, there is also no clear roadmap leading us from where we are to where we want to be when it comes to living in gratitude. But there should be some guidance on how to live a life of gratitude, shouldn’t there?
Rebecca
Rebecca Wylie Simms might just be showing us the way. I read about her online. Not sure how I landed on her story, but I’m glad I did. Not a centenarian, Rebecca’s life was cut short when, at the age of 39, she died after a “tragic surgery complication.” Rebecca was a mother of two, wife, sister, friend, business owner, and beloved member of her community. She passed away on January 19.
However, just weeks before on January 2, in the midst of the joy of a new year with her family, Rebecca posted these words, her “Toast for 2025:”
May we remember to wake up and dance. Listen more. Linger longer. Make gratitude our aesthetic. Go hard on the problem and soft on the person. Pick up the phone. Get our hands dirty. Mail more letters. Buy the hat. Sing louder. Surrender to the surprises. Go slowly. Follow what makes you feel. Be amazed by it all.
There are Roadmaps
Clearly there is guidance out there on how to live a life of gratitude. I’m not saying Rebecca’s is the only guidance out there, but it certainly is among the best. If you spend any time on her Instagram account you will no doubt walk away with the inner knowing that she lived her life at 100%. The fact that she didn’t live longer is clearly a devastating loss to those who loved her. But I dare say that she will be remembered in the hearts of many for the next 100 years and beyond.
With that said, while I would never doubt centenarian wisdom, it is clear that wisdom is wisdom at any age. And gratitude is not something you necessarily grow into with age. I’m going to choose Rebecca’s roadmap. And I’m going to start by being profoundly grateful to her.
100%
100% for 100 Years: Gratitude enables you to be present. To appreciate the moment. This is one of the important principles of living at 100%. Other attitudes like resentment, anger, fear can stop or limit you while gratitude heightens your awareness to a different reality. It’s necessary for living at 100%. In this image, the 100:100 image, every year counts. That’s the point.
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