This week’s 10 Things features one of our partners, Charlaine Reynolds, an elder care specialist at Age Transitions. She has worked with older adults and their families for more than 17 years in the fields of assisted living, independents at home, skilled nursing, dementia care and hospice. She is a great resource to both advocate and guide families through the aging process.

10 Things I know to Be True

1) All families are dysfunctional. Read the stories of the families in the Bible and compare them to the stories you read in the newspaper or your newsfeed online. The same issues—greed, dishonesty, jealousy—remain with us. ALL families are dysfunctional.

2) No matter how old you are, you are still someone’s “baby.” I’m 52 years old, but when my 81-year-old mother asks me, “Did you brush your hair?”, all those little-girl feelings are triggered.

3) Your biggest obstacle is often you. My father moved us around a lot when I was growing up. He always hoped that things would be better in the next town. He never figured out he was moving himself, too.

4) Attitude matters. You cannot control every situation, but you can control your attitude. Sometimes it is the only thing you can control.

5) The happiest people I have known understood they could not save the world. But they could make an impact if they were careful and deliberate in their choices in how to share their time and talents.

6) The stress will kill you, literally. The death certificate may say heart disease or stroke, but stress has a very real effect on us physically.

7) You can be part of the problem or part of the solution. Roll up your sleeves. People appreciate you more if you offer a solution when a problem is identified.

8) The only people who never make mistakes are the ones who do nothing. As long as human beings are taking care of human beings, mistakes will be made. If it’s mechanical, it will break, and if it’s human, he or she will fail.

9) There are two kinds of people in the world. One walks into a room and says, “Here I am.” The other walks into a room and says, “There you are.

10) Plan ahead. It’s not always fun, but it’s called being a grown up. Update the will, save for a rainy day, and have a Plan B and a Plan C.

10 Things We Know to Be True is a series of posts sharing the accumulated wisdom of our partners, peers and colleagues, as well as members of the Investment Answers team.

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