New life insurance provider Beagle Street asked the big question of
1,000 people who should really know – men and women over 70, who spoke
frankly.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and, more often than not, should be
dismissed – but not when it is imparted as gilt-edged wisdom. Then it’s
treasurable and worth listening to very carefully, especially when it
comes to advice on how to be content in life.
That is the case in a new survey from online insurance provider
Beagle Street, which reveals the happiest moments in the lives of 1,000
people aged 70 or over. These people have been there, seen it and done
it.
Their illuminating responses accompany the release of a new short
film made by Beagle Street, Happiest Moment, in which older couples pass
on useful advice on living. It’s clear from their sage reflections that
we need to enjoy the moment more than we do and place less importance
on money or material gains.
For example, almost all of the top 10 happiest moments of their lives
revolved around special moments shared with the people they love. Four
of the top five places were filled by the birth of children – first
child, another child or grandchildren – with their wedding day coming in
at number two. Other fond memories included witnessing a child’s first
steps or hearing their first words and, at numbers nine and ten, meeting
the person of your dreams and kissing them for the first time.
The only moment in the entire list that might be construed as
referring to material objects was moving into a new home, an event which
implies more about fresh beginnings than property values.
Similarly, the best advice these worldly wise folk had to pass on
when it comes to living a happy life revolved around caring for yourself
and others. Most importantly, they said, never take the people you love
for granted – something we might recognise that many of us are guilty
of.
Along with that, they suggested spending more time with family. They
also urged a little self interest, too, emphasising “believe in
yourself” and “remember what is important to you” – implying that it’s
all too easy to lose sight of our own needs when it comes to the
pressure of living day to day.
Encouragingly, less than half of the respondents had any real regrets
– too few to mention, anyway. Of those they did care to recall, top of
the list was choosing the wrong career. Given the amount of time we all
spend at work, it’s inevitably a source of disappointment to find
yourself wishing you had done something else. Not furthering one’s
education also featured high up, another sign that a sense of
unfulfilment can leave a long-term mark.
“We commissioned Happiest Moment because we want our customers to be
happy, as it is scientifically proven that happier people live longer,”
says Matthew Gledhill, managing director, Beagle Street [LINK TO
INTERVIEW HERE]. “As much as people look to the future and try to climb
career ladders, the film and our research clearly show that happiness is
linked much more heavily to relationships, friends and family than
societal or monetary status.
“The overwhelming message from those with the most life experience is
that the key to happiness is to worry less and live in the moment with
the people you care about most.”
Advice we would all do well to follow.
