the good life

If you had to make one life choice right now to set yourself on the path to future happiness what would it be? What single choice could best ensure that when you reach your final days and look back you’ll feel that you’ve lived a good life?

These two deeply profound questions are posed at the beginning of The Good Life written by Dr. Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz.

Based on the world‘s longest scientific study of happiness which highlights the experiences of its participants lives over the last 86 years (and counting!), including three generations and more than 1300 of the descendants of its original 724 participants, The Good Life uncovers what really keeps people healthy and happy.

Through all the years of studying these lives, one crucial factor stands out when it comes to its ties to physical health, mental health, and longevity: Good relationships. Good relationships keep us healthier and happier, and contribute to enduring joy and flourishing lives.

Having recently finished reading this book, I wanted to share some of the major findings of this incredible research with you:

1.) Close relationships and social connections strongly determine ones level of happiness and overall well-being. The study found that people who were more socially connected tended to be happier, healthier, and live longer. Conversely, those who were socially isolated experienced a higher risk of depression and physical health issues.

2.) It’s not the number of close friends you have, or whether or not you’re in a committed relationship, but the quality of your relationships that matter most.

3.) Developing and utilizing coping mechanisms and building resilience helps to determine one's level of happiness. The researchers found that individuals who were able to adapt to life's challenges and setbacks, and maintain a positive outlook, were more likely to lead fulfilling lives.

4.) The good life is a complicated life: it is a process and it includes turmoil, calm, joy, lightness, burdens, struggles, achievements, setbacks, and leaps forward. As Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, “No mud, no lotus”.

5.) As the authors themselves note, it is entirely possible that insights about our own life are locked away in the lives of these participants: What was important to them? What gave their life meaning? What had they learned from their experiences? What did they regret doing (or not doing)? Every interview conducted presents the researchers (and readers) with new opportunities to learn about what made a particular life a ‘good’ life.

Ultimately, the power of belonging, social inclusion, and mindset cannot be underestimated when it comes to leading a good life that is marked by positive physical and mental health outcomes, and a feeling of purpose and meaning.

~Kate