Top six lessons handpicked from the chapters of The Wisdom of Morrie

If life had bulletpoint answers to all of its problems selfhelp books would be much shorter Fortunately for those who like to read life throws us customised curveballs making most advice even if it has worked for someone a game of trial and error The book we picked up this week was The Wisdom of Morrie Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully Hachette India 2023 penned by Morrie Schwartz a professor of sociology known posthumously for author Mitch Albomrsquos book Tuesdays with Morrie just before his passing in 1995 and edited by his son Rob Schwartz Through the 302 pages the author doesnrsquot advise as much as asks readers to pave their own way to living their later years with renewed zest for life through selfreflection that is guided by pointers and anecdotesBuild a supportive network of peers who are going through similar phases in their life to build a sense of camaraderieWhile the book speaks to older folk and is written keeping in mind anyone aged 65 years and above mdash it also uses instances from Schwartzrsquos senior friends mdash Schwartz writes ldquoThis book is for everyonerdquo and the lessons can be relevant to all So here are our top six lessons handpicked from the chapters with accompanying tips by Sneha Gupta founder of LotsOfLearning and personal development coach1 Tap into motivationSchwartz ldquoMotivation is the inspiration to act mdash an urge that generates effort and focused action It is the push to try to assert oneself counteracting unwillingness resistance weariness inertia fear and anxietyrdquoMeditation can help you build an objective outlookThe author recognises our varying levels of motivation and urges us to believe in the value of our work in order to tap into motivation as a source of energy To tackle fluctuations in motivation Gupta shares ldquoCreate a vision board that represents your goals and keep adding thoughts and quotes that inspire yourdquo Interact with this board daily She adds ldquoPractise affirmations to cultivate a mindset that overcomes selfdoubt and acknowledge your progress to continue your journey during periods of low motivationrdquo2 Expand your awarenessSchwartz ldquoMany of the tools that we need in order to age well and become the best we can be may be summed up in one word awarenessrdquoThe topics covered in the book call for reflection and evaluation of oneself looking inward and surroundings looking outward to help identify problem areas and possible solutions Gupta suggests cultivating mindfulness to aid awareness and observation One such exercise can be mindful breathing where you focus on the sensation of the oxygen entering and leaving your body You can bring mindfulness into other tasks such as eating as a way to gradually pace your thoughts and improve focusSneha Gupta3 Hope vs hopelessnessSchwartz ldquoOne could argue that some modicum of hope must exist for us to soldier on even when that hope is laced with degrees of despairrdquoBeing cognizant of the presence of hope if at all a flicker might as well be the source of motivation to push past difficult moments When we need to tip the scaletowards hopefulness Gupta suggests preparing before the crisis to habituate better responses She adds ldquoHave a sense of purpose and look to it when facing adversity to reignite your hope and for a compelling reason to preserverdquoA daunting situation can feel overwhelming and rob you of hope break the task into manageable steps to create a sense of progress Lastly seek help a sense of comfort and togetherness can bring you hopeBreak the task into manageable steps to create a sense of progress and reinstate your hope4 Living through changesSchwartz ldquoThe criterion for judging change is generally how much anxiety and distress it brings us versus how much joy and satisfactionrdquoThe author notes that in the face of inevitable changes in life sameness and familiarity is security But how do we come to terms with changes in health responsibilities and dependency while growing old The book invites readers to reflect on their priorities and needs to deal better with changesGupta highlights viewing the past and present with compassion towards yourself She notes ldquoReframing our mindset about ageing and the changes it brings about to focus on the wisdom and experiences gained over the years will help shift our perspective from loss to personal growthrdquo She also emphasises the importance of staying curious in our outlook towards life to avoid stagnating in the past5 Solitude vs lonelinessSchwartz ldquoLoneliness is an inner ache when we are not aware of being connected to ourselves others nature or anything elserdquoAfter examining onersquos sense of loneliness the book details steps like stretching the imagination through books movies or exercises and by looking outside of oneself to help redirect your perspectives of loneliness to understand the joys of solitude To this Gupta adds a simple exercise that can help explore solitude journalling She explains ldquoReflect on your thoughts feelings and experiences This practice allows us insight into our emotions and patterns of behaviourrdquo6 Gain objectivity through meditationSchwartz ldquoTo make our awareness correspond more to reality as it is we must try to free ourselves as much as we can from our biases stereotypes and habitual distortionsrdquoAcross chapters Schwartz highlights the need for objectivity in gaining awareness Building a meditative practice can help you develop the presence of mind and focus needed in order to take a step back and reexamine any situation Guptarsquos tip for beginners to cultivate this practice includes starting small and maintaining consistencyShe concludes with a reminder ldquoMeditation is not about achieving a certain state but observing thoughts without judgment and accepting whatever arises This approach can help bring in a newfound sense of acceptance and objectivityrdquo