Arthur Brooks – Apprentice 2 Jesus

Reminders for the journey in my “last third”

I am embracing the journey in “last third living.” My mind prepares for what is ahead. I am thankful for all that has brought me to this point. Finishing Arthur Brooks’s book, From Strength to Strength, here are the key reminders for me:

Flourishing out of tragedy

Arthur Brooks in his book, From Strength to Strength, tells the story of Beethoven. He was trained by great composers and musicians. His talent in composing and on the piano was off the charts. He gradually became deaf in his 30s and what musician can operate without their hearing?

People will forget me

Arthur Brooks in his book, From Strength to Strength, gives brutal assessments. People will forget me. My striving for “significance” is going to come to nothing. But the key is this: Obsessing over the future squanders the present.

Addicted to Success

I think a close cousin of being “addicted to success” is being addicted to relevance. It’s a problem. “It is often believed that President Teddy Roosevelt called social comparison the ‘thief of joy.’ Whether he said it or not, it’s true: researchers have long found that social comparison lowers our happiness. But you hardly needContinue reading “Addicted to Success”

Aging properly

A few months ago I began to process what “the last third” of my life should look like. I have been more earnest about that mainly because of the work of Arthur Brooks. I listened to a talk he gave a few years go, then an article with the same basic material, and I knewContinue reading “Aging properly”

More depth

It’s my age. It’s that place in life where I find myself. There are times when I reflect a bit deeper on the transitions of life. I ran across THIS ARTICLE a couple of years ago after hearing his talk online. I pulled it out again recently to reflect on what is needed in myContinue reading “More depth”

Why we hate our enemies and how to stop

“Second Half Living”

At the beginning of the year I heart a presentation by Arthur Brooks on professional decline that was given at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Just a few days ago I ran across an article by Brooks laying out the same principles, but adding some different “takeaways”.