As people age, their memory and other cognitive functions often start to fade. But there may be ways to help reduce that effect, and two 100-year-old sisters have some great information about what’s helped them stay mentally sharp. Both sisters are excited to keep learning new things, and say they focus on not “feeling old.”

For Ruth Sweedler, who’s 103, and her sister Shirley Hodes, who’s 106, staying young at heart and willing to explore everything life has to offer helps keep them from losing their faculties. Even though they’ve lived longer than the majority of people on the planet, they’re still going strong and experiencing gratitude for everything they’ve enjoyed in their life.

In an interview with CNBC, the sisters shared some of their wisdom with the world, and offered suggestions for how people can stay mentally strong and sharp as they move into and through their senior years. Crossword puzzles and other commonly noted ways of keeping mental acuity didn’t make the sisters’ list, but reading and gratitude did.

Both sisters are avid readers, and they both say that it’s very important to understand how much value there is in the little things in life. It’s not possible to have everything they want, but they have all the most important things. Realizing and recognizing that helps them stay grateful and happy, as well as excited for what life can bring in the future.

They also both enjoy close relationships with people they care about, and suggest that people who are still working find jobs they enjoy. That will help keep most people happier, and being happier can go a long way toward better mental sharpness because happy people are more likely to get involved with life, travel, learn, and interact with others.

There’s no guarantee when it comes to how long someone will live or whether their mental abilities will decline, but Ruth and Shirley are living proof that it’s possible to live well for a very long time. Taking advice from them could help people at all stages of life find the good things in life again.

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