If you’re over 70 and can still get these 10 things done, you have a once-in-a-lifetime soul

Not long ago, I was sitting with a cup of tea in Saigon, watching my newborn daughter sleep, and I started thinking about time.

About how fast it moves.

About how some people—despite everything they’ve been through—age with a kind of quiet magic. You can see it in their eyes. Hear it in their words. Feel it in the way they carry themselves.

This article is for those people.

If you’re over 70 and still doing the following 10 things—not just surviving, but really living—then you’re one of the rare ones. A once-in-a-lifetime soul. And the world is better for having you in it.

Let’s walk through them together.

1. You still love learning—even if it’s something small

Maybe it’s figuring out how to use your new phone, reading a book that challenges your thinking, or trying out a new dish in the kitchen.

If you’re still curious—still open to discovery—you have a soul that refuses to harden.

My dad, who’s well into his 70s, still Googles things like “how the brain works” or “what makes a good story.” He has no agenda other than wonder. That’s rare. And beautiful.

Lifelong learners are not just intelligent—they’re humble. They know they don’t know it all. And that’s where true wisdom begins.

2. You show up for people—not just out of habit, but with love

When you’re over 70, you’ve earned the right to be selfish. You’ve raised your kids, worked your jobs, done your time.

But if you still pick up the phone when someone’s hurting… if you still visit friends in the hospital, still write cards, still remember birthdays—that’s not routine. That’s heart.

My mum does this. No matter what’s going on in her life, she still shows up for people. And what’s wild is how often people assume she must not be busy anymore.

But it’s not about time. It’s about care. That’s the soul talking.

3. You laugh—genuinely and often

If you’ve made it past 70 and can still laugh—not a forced chuckle, but that deep, belly-shaking kind—you’re carrying something precious.

You haven’t let bitterness set in.

I remember watching my grandmother, in her last years, completely light up when someone made a joke. She’d lost her husband. Her knees hurt. Her world had shrunk. But her laughter? Still enormous.

That’s not denial. That’s grace.

4. You’re grateful—without needing life to be perfect

This one gets me.

When I was younger, I thought gratitude was something people did—like writing a list or saying thanks. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized: it’s a way of seeing.

If you wake up and genuinely feel lucky to be alive… if you appreciate your morning coffee, or the sound of birds, or the fact that your hands still work—your soul is wide open.

Most people look for what’s missing. But you? You notice what’s already here. That’s deep.

5. You’ve made peace with your past

Here’s what I’ve learned from talking to people older than me: nobody gets to 70 without some scars.

Regret. Loss. Mistakes. Betrayal.

But some people—rare souls—don’t let the past define them. They’ve done the work. They’ve cried the tears. They’ve chosen to forgive even when it wasn’t easy.

If you’re someone who can speak of your past with tenderness, not bitterness—you’ve transcended something most people never do.

And it shows. It shows in your softness. In your presence. In the way people feel calm just sitting next to you.

6. You still look for ways to give

When you’ve been through enough, it’s tempting to say: “I’ve done my part.”

But if you’re still offering help… still mentoring someone younger, volunteering at the library, or simply saying, “Is there anything I can do?”—you have a once-in-a-lifetime kind of generosity.

It doesn’t have to be grand. Just intentional.

My neighbor in Singapore is in his late 70s. He bakes banana bread for the building staff and asks about their kids. Doesn’t post about it. Doesn’t expect anything in return.

It’s quiet. But unforgettable.

7. You’ve adapted—even when it wasn’t easy

The world has changed more in the past 20 years than the previous 100. And let’s be honest: it’s overwhelming.

But if you’ve rolled with it… if you’ve learned to text, pay bills online, use QR codes at cafes—even if you complain a little!—you’ve done something deeply soulful.

You’ve stayed flexible.

And that’s more than a tech skill. It’s a spiritual one. It means you’ve chosen to engage, rather than retreat. And that matters—because it shows your grandkids (and people like me) what resilience really looks like.

8. You still get excited about things

This one’s underrated.

Excitement isn’t just for the young. In fact, when someone in their 70s lights up about a new movie, a walk in the park, or a grandchild’s artwork—it’s pure magic.

You’ve kept your spark.

A while back, I met a woman in her 80s who’d just joined a local writing group. She told me: “I’ve always wanted to write stories, but I waited 60 years. I figured now was as good a time as any.”

She glowed. And it stuck with me.

When you’re still looking forward to things, your soul is still stretching toward the light.

9. You own your story—and you share it

At some point, you stop trying to impress people. You stop hiding your weirdness. You just… own it.

The mistakes. The miracles. The awkward chapters. The proud ones.

If you tell your stories not to show off, but to connect—you’ve stepped into your full self.

You’re no longer performing. You’re offering. That’s how stories become wisdom.

And when you share those stories with humility and humor, it gives the rest of us permission to be real, too.

10. You bring calm into the room

I saved this for last because it might be the most important.

There are people who walk into a room and bring anxiety. And then there are those who walk in and everything settles.

If you’re that second kind—if people feel safe around you—it’s not an accident. It’s the result of a lifetime of self-work.

You’ve made peace with who you are. You’ve stopped needing to prove anything. And that calm? That stillness?

It’s what makes you unforgettable.

Final words, from me to you

If you’re reading this and you’re over 70, I want to say this plainly:

You are not irrelevant.

You are not “past your prime.”

You are not taking up space.

In fact, you are one of the anchors of this world. You’re the living bridge between generations. You’ve survived heartache, watched the world evolve, and still show up with grace.

If you’re still learning, loving, helping, laughing, and growing—you’re not just aging.

You’re leading.

That, to me, is the sign of a once-in-a-lifetime soul.

And if this article resonates with you—or reminds you of someone you love—I invite you to explore more of this soulful perspective in my book, Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How to Live with Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego. It’s written for people just like you, who want to keep growing inward even as the years go on.