A few posts ago I wrote about some lessons I have learned from my 96 year old grandmother. Today I learned a lesson from a 70 year old patient. She called it “connecting the dots”.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with life’s challenges? She had. Lots of life challenges. But she told me that one of the benefits of aging is the ability to look back at those challenges and see how a series of tragedies led to decisions and actions that make her the strong woman she is today. Actually, by her own description, she has always been “feisty”, but she didn’t always understand or accept the positive aspects of these negative events–until last year.

Many of us often hear about the “downsides” of aging–how many times have you heard or said that “getting old sucks”? I love that this patient appreciates where she is now and is grateful for the upsides of aging, looking forward to learning and growing from life’s experiences. Fantastic!

What have you learned from your day today? What big challenges in your life can you connect to a positive outcome, even if it came years afterward? Can you connect the dots and feel gratitude for that?