Ruby has been teaching so long that she taught the grandparents of some of her current students.
She is 95 years old and is a substitute teacher at Birch Lane elementary school in Massapequa, NY.
I met her while speaking at her school a few weeks ago and thought she was in her 70’s, not 90’s.
I couldn’t believe she was 95 and when you watch this video I think you’ll be surprised too.
I asked her what her secret was.
She said being positive and having a positive attitude was key.
Of course, I loved hearing that as I had just shared the importance of positivity as part of my Energy Bus presentation to the school. Their theme this year is all about Positive Energy.
I asked Ruby if she intentionally tried to stay young.
She said she never thought about age. She felt blessed to still be teaching after all these years. She said, “You know schools aren’t hiring teachers my age.” I wanted to say that’s because there aren’t many people, including teachers, your age. :)
She said she was always grateful for the opportunity to teach and still is. It was clear that gratitude was and is a big part of her life and she lives with a grateful heart.
The last secret was that she lives with purpose and a feeling of relevance. She shared how many of her former students who are now teachers were there to celebrate her 90th and 95th birthday. It is clear she loves making a difference and has no plans to stop teaching and impacting others.
Ruby said she knows she has an expiration date and keeps looking for it but can’t find it. :)
She loves her job. She loves her students. She loves making a difference. She is grateful for all of it and stays positive through it.
We often make life complicated, but Ruby's recipe is simple, powerful and a great lesson for all of us.
We may not have her great genes, but we can certainly adopt her great attitude and mindset to live as long and as happy as possible.
Have a great week!
Jon
P.S. The video I shared of Ruby went viral and CBS did a well-deserved feature on her. You can watch it here.
