Most people wish for a long and healthy life but it is hard to know the best way to achieve this. Centenarian Shirley Bernstein, who lives in Boynton Beach, Florida, has some tips. This great-grandma loves the stock market and poker.
Beyond financial matters, she has made wise lifestyle choices, including lots of walks when she was younger. She makes sure to have fun. A positive outlook also keeps her young at heart.
Analyzing the stock market gives her a sense of purpose. “That’s what keeps me going,” Shirley explains. “I watch the market every day. I don’t always trade, but it’s a very important part of my day. … It has made my life very interesting.”
Shirley uses her earnings from the stock market to pay for her assisted living facility. “It’s like a lot of other things — you’ve got to be lucky," she notes. “I’ve had my losses, but fortunately my gains have been larger.” She also thinks more women should invest in the stock market.
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Shirley was born on October 1, 1923, in Philadelphia. She has a family history of longevity, which helps. She also credits her healthy lifestyle choices, such as not smoking and limiting her alcohol intake to big celebrations.
“I’ve been lucky — I’d never smoked. That was a big thing,” Shirley explains.
Shirley admits she was never super athletic but she did do a lot of walking as a younger woman. This has seemed to pay off. According to a study published in medical journal the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, walking 4,000 steps a day is a factor in reducing the risk of dying from any cause.
Shirley says her positive mindset has helped her cope with the harder parts of life. She lost her son six years ago and was able to cope with the tragedy because of her outlook on life. She always looks for the bright side of life.
Shirley loves to have a good time. “She is very funny,” Judith Goldstein, Shirley’s daughter, says. “I have had a wonderful sense of humor,” Shirley agrees. One of Shirley’s favorite ways to have fun is playing poker. She plays three times a week with some men from her assisted living facility.
Shirley believes it is important to find a job that you love. She had a government job before becoming an office manager for a linen supply company. “I spent most of my life as a working lady in addition to being married and a mother,” Shirley explains. “I loved [working]. I did very well,” she added.
Family is very important to Shirley. She and her husband were together for 45 years until he died in the 1990s. They shared two children, but their son died in a tragic accident. She has two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Her daughter is throwing a big party for her to celebrate her 100th birthday and family is flying in from all over the country to attend.
