“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12, ESV

One of my goals this year was to read two books that would help me with joy, positivity, and whimsy. The first is a 365-day devotional called Catching Wimsy by Bob Goff. I am halfway through it, and it’s been good enough that I’ve bought it for several friends. The second is From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur Brooks. This has been my favorite book of the year, and I want to share a few of Brooks’ insights that I think will bless you the most. Sharing these insights also coincides with a recent trip to Sequia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California, as well as the joy of holding and reflecting on my relationship with my grandchildren (the pic above is of two of the youngest, Kade and Adelaide). Brooks’ final insight below about redwoods [similar to sequoias] has been especially meaningful in contemplating these experiences, and you will understand why as you apply it to the fresh generations you are connected to and love.

“As people age, they are better at combining and utilizing complex ideas… they get much better at using what they know and expressing them to others. They also get better at interpreting the ideas that others have…” In other words, Brooks says, “I invented ideas early on: I synthesize ideas– mine and others– now.” (24)

Cicero, the first-century BC Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, and philosopher, believed three things about older age. First, that it should be dedicated to service, not goofing off. Second, our greatest gift later in life is wisdom, in which learning and thought create a worldview that can enrich others. Third, our natural ability at this point is counsel: mentoring, advising, and teaching others, in a way that does not amass worldly rewards of money, power, or prestige.” (31)

“Devote the back half of your life to serving others with your wisdom. Get old sharing the things you believe are most important. Excellence is always its own reward, and this is how you can be most excellent as you age.” (40)

“Most survivors of illness and loss experience post-traumatic growth. Indeed, cancer survivors tend to report higher happiness levels than demographically matched people who did not have cancer. Talk to them, and they will tell you that they no longer bother with the stupod attachments that used to weigh them down, whether possessions, or worries about money, or unproductive relationships. The threat of losing their lives prematurely took a jackhammer to the jade encasing their true selves– the why or their lives.” (89)

“Satisfaction comes not from chasing bigger and bigger things, but paying attention to smaller and smaller things.” (92)

“Solitude expresses the glory of being alone, whereas loneliness the pain of feeling alone.” (118)

“There is something inherently transcendent about relationships and the magical way they elevate us from our material drudgery, if we let them.” (144)

“The redwood, which can grow to 275 feet tall, has remarkably shallow roots– often only 5 or 6 feet deep. It seems to violate the laws of physics that they can stay upright for hundreds— even thousands– of years. That is, until you know one more fact: the redwoods grow in thick groves because their shallow roots are intertwined and, over time, fuse together. They start out as individuals and become one with others as they mature and grow… [These trees] are perfect metaphors [to teach us something really] “helpful and instructive: humans are naturally interconnected– biologically, psychologically, intellectually, and spiritually… we are a vast root system of families, friends, communities, nations, and indeed the entire world. The inevitable changes in my life– and yours– aren’t a tragedy to regret… the secret to bearing my decline– no, enjoying it– is to be more conscious of the roots linking me to others… Further, [without leaning into my interconnectedness and the strengths associated with aging]…, my wisdom has no outlet.” (113-114)