As we all age, some of us will be blessed with a longer life span, but to enjoy our golden years, we need four basic things, like the four legs on a table or chair, to provide stability. To make things easier to remember, just think of the 4Ms—Membership, Money, Mobility, and Memory. Having these four things in your old age will ensure that you will be able to maximize and enjoy your life as a senior citizen to the fullest.

Membership means being part of something such as a family, organization, community, club, or group.  Having people, friends, and relatives you can relate to or interact with is crucial in making you feel wanted and getting your support group.  Sometimes, we may feel that certain relatives give us more problems than comfort, so do not blame yourself for this since you have no choice but to choose who your relatives are.   Friends, on the other hand, is a matter of choice, and you certainly can make the best out of it.  Spending time with people who have the same interests in sports, hobbies, professions, and religious and political beliefs gives you something to look forward to.  These people who truly care about you can help look after you, genuinely care about you, and be there when you need the company.

Money may make us seem so materialistic, but the harsh reality is that it takes money to provide us with food, clothing, and shelter.  As you age, you will need more of it to provide for your medical needs, such as maintenance medication, regular check-ups, and other emergencies.  You will also need money to enjoy retirement and to spend on things you need, want, and like to do.  Unfortunately, not having money is much more difficult than having more money than you need since it would be much easier to give it away.  Not having money makes you a burden to others who may not have sufficient resources to provide for all your needs.

Mobility allows you to care for yourself, visit friends and relatives, go shopping, play sports, travel, and do the things you like.  Of course, you may no longer be able to run a marathon, but if you can still walk, even slowly, or just be able to move around in a wheelchair, that would still be ok.  The freedom to be able to leave your room, your house, or wherever you live, to move around, go places, see new things, explore other countries, and be in a different environment will certainly be beneficial to your mental health and physical well-being.

Memory is an essential aspect of getting old.  Memories go both ways, which is to keep your memories about your life and loved ones and be able to share them with others.  We also need to leave behind the pleasant memories of who we are, what we have done, our contribution to society and the life we lived.  Hopefully, the memories we leave behind are good, and as we leave this life, we will be fondly remembered.   To a large extent, our ability to interact and maintain our identity is dictated by our mental capacity to recognize and create new memories.

As a reminder, nothing good comes easy. Get ready to have the right Membership, Money, Mobility, and Memory. The earlier you can get yourself on the right trajectory, the sooner you can enjoy your golden years!   

(The views and comments of the author are his own and not of the newspaper or FINEX.  Dr. George S. Chua was 2016 FINEX President, 2010 to 2020 FPI President, an active entrepreneur, regular member of the National Press Club, Professorial Lecturer 2 at UP Diliman and BGC, Trustee of the FINEX Foundation, Vice Chairman of the Market Governance Board of the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. and loves playing golf.   Comments may be sent to [email protected])