I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities.It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful，and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive.It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes，both because they will not believe you，and because mistakes are an essential part of education.But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests，you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren.In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services，such as making them an allowance or knitting them jumpers，you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.

Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death.In the young there is a justification for this feeling.Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer.But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows，and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do，the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble.

The best way to overcome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal，until bit by bit the universal life.An individual human existence should be like a river，small at first，narrowly contained within its banks，and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls.Gradually the river grows wider，the banks recede，the waters flow more quietly，and in the end，without any visiblebreak，they become merged in the sea，and painlessly lose their individual being.The man who，in old age，can see his life in this way，will not suffer from the fear of death，since the things he cares for will continue.And if，with the decay of vitality，weariness increases，the thought of rest will not be unwelcome.I should wish to die while still at work，knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.

很多人害怕變老，因為害怕還沒有達到自己的理想就死去。當你嘗遍人生酸甜苦辣，實現一生抱負，你就會坦然的面對死亡。所以不要浪費眼前的時光，不要讓自己害怕老去。

參考翻譯（單窈敏）

人到晚年一定要杜絕這樣兩種危險的心理傾向。一種就是無法從回憶中抽身。活在過去，為逝去的美好時光懊悔，或為死去的朋友傷感，這些都于事無補。一個人應該關注未來，關注需要做的事情。這并不總是那么容易做到。因為一個人的過去是不斷加重的。人們輕易地認為過去的自己情感更豐富生動，思維更敏捷銳利。如果這是事實，你應該將過去忘掉；如果記不得，那這些根本不是真的。

另一種就是不要奢望從年輕人身上汲取活力。當你的孩子長大時，他們就想過自己的生活，如果你繼續像他們小時候那樣照顧他們，你就會成為他們的負擔，除非他們是異常遲鈍的人。我不是說不應該關心孩子，而是要理性的關懷，博愛寬容，但不要感情用事。動物中幼仔一旦能夠獨立生存父母就不再過問了；可是人類由于幼年時期過長，就很難做到這點。我想那些對某些有益活動有濃厚興趣的人，老年時期往往會平和的度過。因為長年積累的經驗已釀成智慧的果實，這種經驗積累的智慧可以幫助更好的解決問題，而這種興趣會分散注意力，讓你在兒女面前不會顯得那么咄咄逼人。讓已成年的孩子不犯錯根本不管用，因為他們不相信你，而且犯錯誤本身也是受教育中必不可少的部分。若是你自己沒什么個人喜好，要想晚年不至于空虛無聊，就只能一心放在兒孫身上了。假使如此，有一點你一定要明白：雖然你還能給予他們物質上的幫助，諸如給孩子們些零用錢或織幾件毛衣，但你千萬不要指望他們會喜歡和你在一起。

有些老人因懼怕死亡而煩惱。年輕人有這種恐懼還說得過去。那些害怕在戰爭中陣亡的年輕人，想到自己可能無法經歷生命中的種種美好而感到苦澀、害怕，這無可厚非。但對于一個嘗遍人生酸甜苦辣，實現一生抱負的老人來說，恐懼死亡豈不是又可憐又可鄙。戰勝對死亡的恐懼，最好的方法就是逐步拓寬你的興趣，超脫你自己的小框框，當你不再自我，你的生命就會開始慢慢與其他人融合，至少這對我來說是可行的。一個人應當像一條河流，開始時窄而淺，脅迫在兩岸之間，猛烈地搏擊巖石、跨越瀑布。慢慢地，河流越走越寬，兩岸逐步退去，水流趨于平緩，直到最后，不知不覺地融入大海，雖然逝去卻不會有絲毫痛苦。一個人若能在晚年如此面對人生，就不會懼怕死亡，因為他的興趣仍在繼續。這樣一來，隨著活力的衰退，疲勞的增加，死亡也就沒什么可怕的了。我希望我可以工作到生命的最后一刻，并且知道有人會接手我無法繼續的事業。這一生我能夠完成了自己力所能及的一切，我已經心滿意足了。

Redefine Yourself 重新定義你自己

Anonymous 佚名

How do you define yourself？As a mother，daughter，wife，friend，husband，son，teacher，student，lawyer，accountant，or any one of a myriad different titles？Or do you define yourself by others’perception of you？Do any of these come close to your own knowledge，your personal experience of whom you really are？

In your quiet moments，in times of inexplicable joy，have you had the overwhelming and yet clear and lucid feeling of total invincibility—a feeling that nothing can hold you down，that you CAN accomplish ANYTHING and EVERYTHING if you put your mind to it？Well，that feeling is not a random one.

What is it that gets in the way of your exquisite power？