Wake Up With Purpose!: What I've Learned in My First Hundred Years

by Jean Dolores Schmidt

I think we could all be a little happier and more productive if we set aside quiet time, especially at the start of our days. Even five or ten minutes of silent reflection can be enough.

Before I go to sleep each night, I think of all the good things I did that day. That way I know I will wake up happy in the morning.

how I’d lived so long and so happily. “Well, I’ll tell you,” he replied. “She has a purpose every day.”

I recently came upon an African proverb that said, “When an old person dies, a library closes.” I thought that was such a beautiful verse. And by that logic, if the old person is still living, that means the library is open, right?

My dad taught us that God made the stars and the skies, and that He loved us, He was always watching over us, and He wanted us to be happy. Of course, that doesn’t mean that everything will go our way, but if we hold on to that belief, we can trust that God has a reason for everything that happens, even if we don’t quite understand it at the time.

especially after someone they love dies. For those who respond to those situations by turning away from faith, I would suggest that maybe they should give God a second date. As painful as it is to lose someone we love, it’s our mission to trust that God has His reasons for calling them home. That call will come for all of us—we just don’t know when. God is full of surprises. Most of them are pleasant, but many are not. Either way death is out of our control. The only thing we can do in those moments is hold as hard as we can to belief.

She tried not to say no to us unless she had to, but when she did that was okay. Boys and girls have to hear the word no sometimes. Still, she didn’t like to say it.

I believe we should be tolerant of other people’s mistakes. Saint Paul and Saint Peter made mistakes.

I get sad when somebody makes a mistake. I don’t like to say they did something wrong—I call it a mistake. I pray that the person will find a path toward joy and happiness. But that doesn’t mean I condemn or judge them. You have to live according to the way you believe. Believe in life, believe in God, believe in the future. In doing so, it’s important to help others find happiness.