Brian Clark

By the time you’re in your 40s — and certainly your 50s — you begin thinking about retirement. It’s how we’ve been conditioned since “retirement at age 65” was fabricated back when Social Security was introduced in 1935. The idea was to provide assistance to older people, yes. But it was also to force them …

Have you taken up a pandemic hobby? Developed some new skill that you never had before, such as baking bread or gardening? Or maybe it was something that pushed your brain a bit harder. If so, you’re benefiting more than just beating boredom and taming anxiety. We now know that adult brains contain stem cells, …

“Who wants to live forever?” is a question Freddie Mercury of Queen once asked. Well, we all could have benefited from a few more years with Freddie. And while not forever, I think the answer to “how long do you want to live?” might be “long enough to be ready to go.” Longevity is a …

As we hit midlife, our values tend to shift. This is usually a positive thing, and ultimately you feel great about it. But during the transition, we tend to feel vaguely unhappy, often without thinking we have any reason to complain. It’s the feeling of dissatisfaction that comes with the realization that some of what …

There’s a familiar formula in the realm of personal growth and the pursuit of happiness: Happiness = Expectations – Reality Recently, Mark Manson located an early source for the idea. German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s 1818 book The World as Will and Representation contains this passage: All happiness depends on the proportion of what we claim …

It’s so easy to dislike Mark Zuckerberg. All you have to do is pay attention to news about Facebook. Marky’s iron grip on control of the company has turned it into a blight on society, and he doesn’t seem interested in fixing it. Or, you might know the story of how Facebook came to be …

I’ve managed to trick myself into really enjoying exercise. That goes for both cardio and strength training. But I’ve never enjoyed going to the gym. For cardio, no problem. Living in Colorado plus my love of hiking takes care of that. But once I started lifting weights, the gym got involved. Then the pandemic hit, …

Well, 2020 continues to outperform in its contention for worst year ever. This time it’s on the personal front. My home office flooded due to a sewer line problem. All the flooring was ruined, and I’m getting an unexpected bathroom remodel. Such fun. What to do? Well, I decided to take off on a road …

Many Gen Xers are taking on challenges that seem better suited for the young. They’re pushing the limits of what they’re physically capable of through endurance athletics and extreme fitness: Today, almost a third of all triathlon participants in the United States are between the ages of 40 and 49, according to the U.S. Triathlon …

Personal growth is about change. And change is hard, right? Well, yes … and no. The truth is, we’re all changing constantly, even now at midlife (and much more than we think). But this doesn’t mean we’re necessarily changing in the ways we want to. So what is it that drives us to change in …

People in the United States are not happy. In fact, a study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago finds that Americans are the unhappiest they’ve been in nearly 50 years. That’s perhaps understandable. But it brings to mind the question of whether happiness is something we should be striving for in the first …

Our sense of self is a story that we tell ourselves. Our thoughts, memories, triumphs, worries, and regrets are strung together to form a narrative that seems like the permanent “who” that we are. But in reality, there’s no tangible essence, even though it certainly feels like there is. Whether you consult with a neuroscientist, …