I’m currently reading From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks, thanks to the recommendation of a client and other friends.
Each chapter offers another golden nugget of research and reflection on what makes us happy. (I may dedicate a podcast series to the whole book at a later date.)
In one chapter, Brooks describes how Aspen trees are often a single organism. What looks like a forest is actually a shared root system. Nutrients and support pass quietly beneath the surface from one trunk to another.
Redwoods do something similar, yet different. Their root systems are shallow, yet interconnected. So their mighty strength is communal.
It’s a powerful metaphor for happiness.
We glorify independence. Self-sufficiency. Standing tall on our own.
But research consistently shows that well-being, especially later in life, is deeply connected to community.
And community isn’t limited to romantic partnerships, nor is it guaranteed by family. It isn’t even automatic in friendship.
Community is something we have to build. Like a muscle.
In a post-pandemic world, many of us quietly lost our built-in community. Many of us no longer go into offices. Casual conversations disappeared. Daily interactions shrank.
Others feel that same shift in retirement.
When the workplace, ready-made routines, and shared purpose fall away, it can feel very lonely.
Loneliness doesn’t always arrive dramatically. It can creep in through transitions such as relocation, divorce, retirement, and remote work.
Connection takes intention.
Moving to Maui many years ago and leaving a long career as a television executive (which gave me built-in friendships, conversations, and lots of deep connections), I had to start over when it came to making new friends.
It was through hobbies and new interests that I found a new community of friends.
Aspens don’t compete underground. They are one.
Redwoods don’t stand alone. They are steadied by one another.
Perhaps building connections (or roots) at any stage of life is one of the most important forms of strength we practice.
-Jackie
