At the age of 94, I think I have discovered a few of the secrets to a long and peaceful life.

1. Holding on to the safety bar in the shower! A recent study by Belvidere Home Care, a recognized home health care agency, has shown that for people aged 65 and older, falls account for approximately 60 percent of all injury-related emergency department visits and over 50 percent of injury-related deaths annually. And up to 80 percent of falls in the home occur in the bathroom.

2. Know where your feet are and where they are going.

3. Maintain Mindful Awareness (MMA).

However, in my opinion, an even more important secret to a longer and a more peaceful life is to have a fundamentally solid spiritual life. I believe we are all spiritual beings in physical bodies. I truly believe in the God-given inherent dignity of all human beings. I believe the heathy sustainability of the human race is in forgiveness and the unity of diversity.

There is a Buddhist saying, “The mind is everything, what we believe we become.” Why is it that so many people talk about and want peace, but won’t do what it takes to obtain peace? To obtain peace, one must suspend all judgments about ourselves and others (projections) and extend forgiveness for ourselves and others for being human.

Another question we should ask ourselves is, “If we knew, beyond doubt, we were going to die tomorrow, would we feel complete?” If we can answer “yes,” we would know that feeling of the “peace that passeth the understanding”.

Another simple test is to ask ourselves, “Am I happy?” If not, why not? Another old saying is, “Would you rather be right or happy?”