Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control. 
Epictetus, philosopher

Enjoy what you can and ignore the rest. Let’s not waste any energy fighting things that are outside our control. 
Paulo Coelho

If you worry too much about what might be, and wonder too long about what might have been, you will ignore and completely miss what is. 
Marc and Angel Chernoff, authors

The only real battle in life is between hanging on and letting go. 
Shannon L. Alder, author

Life is to be lived, not controlled. 
Ralph Ellison, author

The creative process is a process of surrender, not control. 
Julia Cameron, author

Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t. 
Steve Maraboli, author

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. 
Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor

Radical acceptance rests on letting go of the illusion of control and a willingness to notice and accept things as they are right now. 
Marsha M. Linehan, psychologist

Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on. 
Eckhart Tolle

I am very happy Because I have conquered myself And not the world. 
Sri Chinmoy, spiritual leader

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. 
Ann Landers, motivational write

Learning to live is learning to let go. 
Sogyal Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhist

1. When one door closes and another door opens, you are probably in prison.

2. To me, “drink responsibly” means do not spill it. .

3 Age 60 might be the new 40, but 9:00 pm is the new midnight.

4. It is the start of a brand-new day, and I am off like a herd of turtles.

5. The older I get, the earlier it gets late.

6. When I say, “The other day,” I could be referring to any time between yesterday and 15 years ago.

7. I remember being able to get up without making sound effects.

8. I had my patience tested. I am negative.

9. Remember, if you lose a sock in the dryer, it comes back as a Tupperware lid that does not fit any of your containers.

10. If you are sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat next to you, just stare straight ahead and say, “Did you bring the money?”

11. When you ask me what I am doing today, and I say “nothing,” it does not mean I am free. It means I am doing nothing.

12. I finally got eight hours of sleep. It took me three days, but whatever.

13. I run like the winded.

14. I hate when a couple argues in public, and I missed the beginning and do not know whose side I am on.

15. When someone asks what I did over the weekend, I squint and ask, “Why, what did you hear?”

16. When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like a goat chewing on an aluminum can stuffed with celery?

17. I do not mean to interrupt people. I just randomly remember things and get really excited.

18. When I ask for directions, please do not use words like “east.”

19. Do not bother walking a mile in my shoes. That would be boring. Spend 30 seconds in my head. That will freak you right out.

20. Sometimes, someone unexpected comes into your life out of nowhere, makes your heart race, and changes you forever. We call those people cops.

21. My luck is like a bald guy who just won a comb.   

But that quiet label hides something most people rarely stop to
consider. We are the last living witnesses of a world that no longer
exists.

Look at us and you might see grey hair, slower steps, and the patience
that time teaches.

But listen to our story — really listen — and you’ll realize something
extraordinary.

We are the only generation in human history to have lived a fully
analog childhood and a fully digital adulthood.

That’s not a small thing. That’s one of the most breathtaking journeys
a human being has ever been asked to make.

We were born in the 1940s, 50s, and early 60s, into a world still
rebuilding from the rubble of World War II.

Our toys were marbles and hopscotch and card games at kitchen tables.
When the streetlights flickered on, that was it — childhood adventures
were over, and it was time to go home. No smartphones. No streaming.
No endless scroll.

We built our memories in the real world. With scraped knees and
laughter echoing down streets and friendships formed face to face.

In 1969, we sat in living rooms staring at black-and-white televisions
as Neil Armstrong took humanity’s first steps on the Moon. Hundreds of
thousands of us stood in muddy fields at Woodstock ’99 believing —
really believing — that music and community could reshape the future.

We fell in love to vinyl records spinning on turntables. We waited
days, sometimes weeks, for handwritten letters to arrive. We learned
patience because information did not come instantly. Mistakes were
fixed with erasers — not a delete button.

Then the world transformed.

Machines that once filled entire rooms shrank to devices lighter than
a paperback. We went from rotary phones and party lines to seeing the
face of someone we love on the other side of the ocean — instantly, on
something that fits in a pocket.

We watched the birth of the personal computer. The arrival of the
internet. The smartphone. Artificial intelligence.

And through every single shift — we adapted.

Not because it was easy. Because that is what our generation does.

We also carry the weight of history in our bodies.

We grew up afraid of polio and tuberculosis. We watched science defeat
them. We witnessed the discovery of the structure of DNA, the decoding
of the human genome, the transformation of medicine itself. We
survived pandemics across decades — and kept going.

Few generations have been asked to absorb so much change in a single lifetime.

And through all of it, certain things never changed.

We still know the joy of a cold glass of lemonade (or maybe a cold
beer) on a hot afternoon. The taste of vegetables picked straight from
a garden. The value of a long conversation that unfolds slowly,
without a screen interrupting it.

We have celebrated births and mourned losses. Carried the stories of
friends who are gone. Watched the world become something our younger selves couldn’t have imagined — and found ways to belong in it anyway.
We are not relics.

We are living bridges between two entirely different worlds.

Our memory carries something the modern world needs — proof that
progress doesn’t have to erase wisdom. That speed does not have to
replace patience, kindness, or reflection.

So when someone calls us elderly, we can smile.

Because behind that word is something remarkable.

We crossed two centuries. Witnessed eight decades of transformation.
Walked from handwritten letters to artificial intelligence — and never
lost our sense of what actually matters.

We are called “the elderly.” 

Gen. George S. Patton was a complicated military figure, but there can be little debate over whether he was quotable.

Perhaps most famous for his commanding of the 7th Army during World War II, Old “Blood and Guts” often gave rousing speeches to motivate, inspire and educate his soldiers. We collected 11 of his most famous quotes (courtesy of his estate’s official website) that show how larger than life he really was.

1. ‘A Pint of Sweat Will Save a Gallon of Blood’

Soldiers are not good on the battlefield without training hard beforehand. Whether it’s a soldier, a civilian wanting to run a marathon or a CEO running a company, being successful at what you do requires focus, effort and learning.

For soldiers especially, working extra hard in training can save their lives later.

2. ‘A Good Plan, Violently Executed Now, Is Better Than a Perfect Plan Next Week’

Known for his brilliance on the battlefield, Patton often had to make decisions based on limited information and time. But he knew to avoid “paralysis by analysis,” make a decision, and execute it the best he could. Otherwise, the enemy might maneuver faster and beat him.

3. ‘Lead Me, Follow Me, or Get Out of My Way’

Perhaps one of the most famous quotes that people don’t realize originated with Patton, this mantra summed up his style.

4. ‘Do Everything You Ask of Those You Command’

Patton led his soldiers by example. While he’s best known for commanding troops during World War II and perfecting the art of tank warfare, his troops knew he was more than willing to personally get into the fight. During World War I, for example, Patton was shot in the leg while directing tanks, after he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire.

5. ‘Say What You Mean, and Mean What You Say’

Patton didn’t mince words. Shortly after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, he began giving his now-famous “blood and guts” speeches at Fort Benning, Georgia. They were often profane, but direct.

“This individual heroic stuff is pure horse shit,” he told troops June 5, 1944, before D-Day. “The bilious bastards who write that kind of stuff for the Saturday Evening Post don’t know any more about real fighting under fire than they know about f–king!”

6. ‘Many Soldiers Are Led to Faulty Ideas of War by Knowing Too Much About Too Little’

The general didn’t sugarcoat what combat would be like for his soldiers. While movies and books tend to glorify war, Patton gave speeches to his men in which he explained exactly what they faced:

“You are not all going to die. Only 2% of you right here today would die in a major battle. Death must not be feared. Death, in time, comes to all men. Yes, every man is scared in his first battle. If he says he’s not, he’s a liar. Some men are cowards, but they fight the same as the brave men, or they get the hell slammed out of them, watching men fight who are just as scared as they are. The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared.”

7. ‘Never Tell People How to Do Things. Tell Them What to Do, and They Will Surprise You With Their Ingenuity’

People hate to be micromanaged. A good leader, as Patton knew, tells his or her subordinates what is expected or what the overall goal is. They don’t need to give a step-by-step explanation. It’s a waste of a leader’s time, and worse, most people resent it.

8. ‘If Everybody Is Thinking Alike, Then Somebody Isn’t Thinking’

Good leaders don’t want to hear from “yes men.” They encourage healthy debate, talking over strategy, and planning out different options. Patton may have been a brilliant tactician on the battlefield, but he was also human. If one of his subordinates noticed something wasn’t working or had a better idea, according to this quote, he’d be interested to hear what it was.

9. ‘Do More Than Is Required of You’

The bare minimum amount of work didn’t cut it for Patton. “An Army is a team. It lives, sleeps, eats and fights as a team. This individual heroic stuff is pure horse sh–,” he said.

He wanted his men to think about what more they could do for the greater good of the unit, instead of only thinking about themselves. This quote can certainly apply to organizations outside the military.

10. ‘Moral Courage Is the Most Valuable and Usually the Most Absent Characteristic in Men’

Good leaders encourage their subordinates to always act with integrity, even when it’s not the most popular thing to do. Moral courage is all about doing the right thing, even if that decision may result in adverse consequences. Patton understood the value in this, along with the reason why most people didn’t have it.

11. ‘I Am a Soldier, I Fight Where I Am Told, and I Win Where I Fight.’

Having served the U.S. Army for 36 years, Patton was a career soldier who served as an example for his troops. He believed in his country, his mission and winning the battles he was tasked with. He also knew very well how to motivate his troops to fight with him:

“We’re not going to just shoot the sons of bitches. We’re going to rip out their living goddamned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks.”

 

I was in the six-item express lane at the store quietly fuming. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the check-out line pushing a cart piled high with groceries. 

Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward looked into the cart and asked sweetly, “So which six items would you like to buy?” 
(Wouldn’t it be great if that really happened) 

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Because they had no reservations at a busy restaurant, my elderly neighbor and his wife were told there would be a 45 minute wait for a table.

Young man, we are both 90 years old,” the husband said. “We may not have 45 minutes.” They were seated immediately. 
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The reason Politicians try so hard to get re-elected is that they would “hate” to have to make a living under the laws they have just passed. 
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All eyes were on the radiant bride as her father escorted her down the aisle. They reached the altar and the waiting groom. The bride kissed her father and placed something in his hand. 
The guests in the front pews responded with ripples of laughter. Even the priest smiled broadly.  As her father gave her away in marriage, the bride gave him back his credit card. 
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Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. 
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Three friends from the local congregation were asked, “When you’re in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?” 

Artie said, “I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man.” 
  
Eugene commented, “I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people’s lives.” 
  
Al said, “I’d like them to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!'” 
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Smith climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai to get close enough to talk to God. Looking up, he asks the Lord. “God, what does a million years mean to you?” The Lord replies, “A minute. “ Smith asks, “And what does a million dollars mean to you?” The Lord replies, “A penny.” Smith asks, “Can I have a penny?” The Lord replies, “In a minute.” 
—————————————– 
John was on his deathbed and gasped pitifully, “Give me one last request, dear,” he said. 
“Of course, John,” his wife said softly. 

“Six months after I die,” John said, “I want you to marry Bob.” 

“But I thought you hated Bob,” she said.. 

With his last breath John said, “I do!” 

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A man goes to see the Rabbi. “Rabbi, something terrible is happening and I have to talk to you about it.” The Rabbi asked, “What’s wrong?” 

The man replied, “My wife is going to poison me.” The Rabbi, very surprised by this, asks, “How can that be?” The man then pleads, “I’m telling you, I’m certain she’s going to poison me. What should I do?” The Rabbi then offers, “Tell you what. Let me talk to her, I’ll see what I can find out and I’ll let you know.” 

A week later the Rabbi calls the man. He says, “I spoke to your wife on the phone for three hours. You want my advice?” The man said, “Yes” and the Rabbi replied, “Take the poison.”