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Abstract

magine.</p><h2 id="ab16">2. Early success leads to unhappiness and disillusionment later in life</h2><p id="de0d">According to Brooks, by age 70, there are two groups of people. One group tends to get happier and happier. The other becomes less and less happy.</p><p id="5fb8">Material success in life's first half does not necessarily lead to a happier second half. Brooks says successful people fall victim to the striver's curse. He says,</p><blockquote id="6e04"><p>“If you don’t do anything with your life, you won’t know when it’s over. But if you do a lot with your life and the party ends, you’re going to notice the difference. That contrast is really hard to take.”</p></blockquote><p id="2eaa">Athletes cannot maintain their peak performance forever. They have to retire when their physical prowess declines over time.</p><p id="2c30">The key is to detach the notion of happiness and success from material achievements.</p><h2 id="4596">3. Our natural strengths change as we age</h2><p id="59a5">Brooks says we have to change our roles as we get older — from innovator to instructor.</p><p id="5341">Our fluid intelligence helps us focus on tasks and achieve goals effortlessly in the first half of life. In the later part of life, we develop crystallized intelligence, the product of our knowledge and experience.</p><p id="b458">The key is

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to choose roles and tasks where we can apply our crystallized intelligence.</p><h2 id="19b4">4. Give up adding; learn to subtract</h2><p id="d53d">Brooks shares a secret formula to being happy as we age:</p><p id="49ae"><b><i>"To be happy as you get older, remember: don't just add, subtract."</i></b></p><p id="7178">In the first half of life, we act like painters. We splash the canvas with colour creatively and energetically.</p><p id="21c3">In the later part of life, we should work as sculptors- chipping away the marble to remove unnecessary things from life.</p><h2 id="b60f">5. Love is the foundation on which we build the tower of happiness</h2><p id="9eef">Nobody is an island of excellence or success. Brooks asks us to mend and nourish relationships as we get older.</p><p id="d165">The aspen tree stands alone and majestic. But it's not one plant; it's an entire <i>grove</i> of trees in one plant. They share the same root system.</p><p id="9178">Success is more meaningful and enjoyable when we surround ourselves with loving relationships.</p><h2 id="2a28">Closing thoughts</h2><p id="c4ab">The second half of life can be successful, happier, and purposeful if we reframe our thoughts, declutter, tap into old age's unique strengths, and nourish loving relationships.</p><p id="8a7b">Thanks for reading this story.</p></article></body>

An Author's Recipe To Make Life's Second Half Happier, Successful and Purposeful

Reconceive meaning, reimagine the purpose, and relate to new strengths

The first half of our lives are generally adventurous, exciting, and full of striving to achieve goals.

The second half of life tends to be more sedate, uneventful, and dull. Our careers end, families splinter, and aging appears as an uninvited guest.

Are we doomed to lead unhappy lives later in life? No, says Arthur C. Brooks. in his book "From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life."

Brooks has shared five key insights from the book.

1. Happiness is not a child of chance

Brooks says we can be happier at 75 than at 25 because happiness is not just a feeling. It's a mix of elements like contentment, enjoyment and purpose. We can control these elements of happiness more than we imagine.

2. Early success leads to unhappiness and disillusionment later in life

According to Brooks, by age 70, there are two groups of people. One group tends to get happier and happier. The other becomes less and less happy.

Material success in life's first half does not necessarily lead to a happier second half. Brooks says successful people fall victim to the striver's curse. He says,

“If you don’t do anything with your life, you won’t know when it’s over. But if you do a lot with your life and the party ends, you’re going to notice the difference. That contrast is really hard to take.”

Athletes cannot maintain their peak performance forever. They have to retire when their physical prowess declines over time.

The key is to detach the notion of happiness and success from material achievements.

3. Our natural strengths change as we age

Brooks says we have to change our roles as we get older — from innovator to instructor.

Our fluid intelligence helps us focus on tasks and achieve goals effortlessly in the first half of life. In the later part of life, we develop crystallized intelligence, the product of our knowledge and experience.

The key is to choose roles and tasks where we can apply our crystallized intelligence.

4. Give up adding; learn to subtract

Brooks shares a secret formula to being happy as we age:

"To be happy as you get older, remember: don't just add, subtract."

In the first half of life, we act like painters. We splash the canvas with colour creatively and energetically.

In the later part of life, we should work as sculptors- chipping away the marble to remove unnecessary things from life.

5. Love is the foundation on which we build the tower of happiness

Nobody is an island of excellence or success. Brooks asks us to mend and nourish relationships as we get older.

The aspen tree stands alone and majestic. But it's not one plant; it's an entire grove of trees in one plant. They share the same root system.

Success is more meaningful and enjoyable when we surround ourselves with loving relationships.

Closing thoughts

The second half of life can be successful, happier, and purposeful if we reframe our thoughts, declutter, tap into old age's unique strengths, and nourish loving relationships.

Thanks for reading this story.