By Katie Cristofoli and Bobby Adusumilli
Our purpose at SJS is to empower you to build a better life. What a better life–a good life–means varies from person-to-person. While our focus is on finances and investments, our purpose extends far beyond money.
To more deeply understand what a better life entails, the SJS Book Club recently read The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz. The Good Life summarizes findings from the ongoing Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has followed hundreds of people in the US for over 80+ years. The study combines physical exams, health metrics, psychological evaluations, and brain imaging (among other data points) throughout the participants' lives.
We believe this book beautifully combines academic research, philosophical and religious teachings, and relatable experiences on topics ranging from family, health, and work.
Here are a few insights that will stick with us:
“Good relationships keep us healthier and happier. Period.”: The book emphasizes that the single biggest factor in improving our long-term health and happiness is cultivating warm relationships. These relationships span across our family, friends, work colleagues, and communities. The better our relationships, the greater joy we typically experience over time, the healthier we will likely be, and the more protected we can feel and resilient we may be in our toughest moments.
Life–even a good life–is complicated, requires hard work, and is never perfect: Strong relationships take constant effort and intentionality–they don’t just happen. Loneliness is very harmful to our physical and mental health, and quick fixes (particularly in our world of constant technology and distractions) almost never suffice. Feuds with others take a terrible toll on us, and finding a way to forgive–even if that means not continuing a relationship–is essential. We can’t avoid the hardships in life or outrun our fate, but the more we nurture our positive relationships, the better chance we have to get through tough times and to thrive.
Money can be helpful but not sufficient for a better life: Across various surveys, younger adults tend to say that becoming rich is one of their top goals in life. We commonly see this with our interns and younger clients. We try to teach them ways to earn money, save, and invest smartly. In our experience, you can develop these traits and habits in nearly any occupation. When younger people ask us for career advice, we emphasize that it takes time and experience across multiple roles to find what you are most excited about; we also echo the sentiment of Maya Angelou: “Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”
Giving helps us be part of something bigger than ourselves: Early on in life isn’t the only time that we can evolve. Life presents a series of opportunities for new, formative experiences. Giving–whether it is time, energy, knowledge, resources–is one of the best ways that we can change for the better. Especially when giving our time or attention, we are essentially giving our lives, which is the most valuable possession we can offer. It is important to have a balance and not over-extend yourself, but generally, as the authors write, “The more you give to others, the greater your abundance.”
We encourage you to check out The Good Life website and watch the “What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness” TED video from Robert Waldinger.