Sir Captain Tom Moore revealed the secret to a rich and contented life is being "at ease with yourself and what you have".
Sir Captain Tom Moore
The late army veteran - who sadly died from COVID-19 at the age of 100 last month after raising over £32 million for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic - has given his advice in his book 'Captain Tom's Life Lessons', which was written last year.
In an extract published by the Daily Mirror newspaper, he wrote: "One interesting feature of old age is that time becomes the sole currency and the only thing that matters is how we feel about ourselves – and how others feel about us.
"All those possessions we’ve surrounded ourselves with no longer seem so crucial to our place in the world, and we realise that we’ve accumulated far too much stuff.
"Now whenever I’m asked, ‘What would you like for your birthday, Tom?’, I am always at a loss. It’s the same at Christmas. ‘A new leg?’ I might suggest, with a wry smile. "Truly, that is all I want for. The only thing that matters is the people I keep around me and the happiness of those I love.
"If you’re at ease with yourself and what you have it also brings valuable perspective when it comes to listening to the opinions of others.
"Being satisfied with my lot taught me to know my own mind and to trust my own judgement. I was happy to ride solo and make up my own mind about which road to take."
Captain Tom also opened up on jealousy, and urged people to focus on themselves and enjoy what they have.
He added: "I can’t think of a single time in my life when I begrudged anyone for having a better lifestyle, job, house, partner, body or car.
"I may have aspired to a more powerful motorbike once or twice, but I was never jealous to the point of unhappiness because I knew that what I had was right for me and was also comfortably within my means. Instead, I found my pleasure in enjoying what I had, not what I hadn’t.
"Contentment stems from being comfortable with who we are, grateful for what we have achieved, and not comparing ourselves to others.
"That is a fast lane to discontent. Happily, age can help with this, as money and material possessions no longer feel like such important indicators of our status in life once we are older."