In new book, Arthur Brooks pursues how to be happy in your second act

Why do many high achievers find it challenging to live a life of purpose as they age out of their careers? That’s the question Arthur Brooks tackles in his latest book, "From Strength to Strength," published this February.

On March 8 at 6:30 p.m., The Village Square is hosting “happiness expert” Arthur Brooks for its first Dinner at the Square of 2022. Brooks will also sign copies of his book at Midtown Reader beforehand.

Working together: Lessons in the snow: We can make a difference when we work together | McKibben

Clean up: Make it a Super-Clean Sweep: It's time to spruce up, Tallahassee

Invasive plants: Be aggressive: Learn to identify and remove invasive plants | Walthall

Brooks is a living legend in the political and social science world. He is the former president of the American Enterprise Institute and current professor of public leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School. He is a sought-after speaker and a columnist and podcast host for The Atlantic.

He has even collaborated with the Dalai Lama. A driven achiever himself, Brooks knows firsthand what it’s like to feel stuck on the “hamster wheel of success.”

“I knew there had to be more to the story than just run and run and run and run and then run some more…it just didn’t make sense,” he said.

In time, Brooks’ research began to reveal an interesting pattern: “I noticed in my data that the people most frustrated about their careers later on were the people that had done the most, not the least.”

Then one day, he overheard a conversation between a severely depressed man and his wife on an airplane. Shocked to realize that the man was a nationally-recognized celebrity — a person in his second half of life with a long, successful career behind him— Brooks began a seven-year foray into the science of success and happiness.

The result is a remarkable roadmap for how to defeat what Brooks calls “the striver’s curse”: seven lessons that, he argues, can move us from “success addiction” to meaningful work as we age.

Brooks makes the case for a better second act by doing what he calls “cultivating your Aspen grove,” which involves practices like leaning into your personal relationships and taking time to reflect on your own death. A significant part of that effort is grounded in spirituality and a belief in something bigger than yourself.

“Looking at the transcendent is incredibly important, because one of the mistakes we make when we only think about ourselves is that we tend to blow up the significance of the details of our own lives,” he said. “Broadening your spiritual aperture puts you into perspective. It makes it much easier for you to do new things…you’re just not afraid when you’re looking at the big picture.”

Along the journey, Brooks says he went deeper into his own Catholic faith. “It wasn’t just an obligation; it became an invitation,” he said. “There’s no data for the existence of God. There’s only what’s sitting in your heart.”

Brooks’ research and resulting book began with his own desire for a more meaningful approach to work and life, and his research and writing have been as much a personal process as a scientific one.

“My biggest challenge is the success addiction. It’s a pathology,” he said. “I’ve changed careers four times, and every time it’s like, ‘I’ve gotta be number one.’ What am I gonna be, a tango dancer next? That’s a real hamster wheel and writing this book has been helpful to me.”

Brooks said striving for excellence and achievement isn’t a bad thing. The key is to strive toward something that will bring real happiness — something that aligns with your interests and enables you to give back.

“America is a nation of striving riff-raff; that’s why I love America,” Brooks said. “But your success can be so much greater on that second curve than it ever was on the first curve.”

Sally Bradshaw is the owner of Midtown Reader, an independent bookstore in Tallahassee’s Midtown.

If you go

What: Arthur Brooks signs copies of his new book, "From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life," at Midtown Reader. Later that evening Brooks will speak at Village Square’s Dinner at the Square, touching on points from both the new book and his previous book "Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt."

When & Where: Book signing 5-5:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at Midtown Reader, 1123 Thomasville Road; Dinner at the Square, 6:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 211 N. Monroe St. You can order your book from Midtown Reader or purchase a signed copy at the event.

Tickets: Find more info and purchase tickets ($50-$101) for Dinner at the Square at tlh.villagesquare.us

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Writer Arthur Brooks will sign books, speak at Village Square dinner