Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!) Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!) Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Second Mountain by David Brooks. Hope you enjoy! David Brooks is one of the nations’ leading writers and commentators. He is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times and appears regularly on PBS NewsHour and Meet the Press. I loved his book The Road to Character. I loved this one even more. David tells us there are two mountains: The first mountain? That’s what society tells us we should pursue: all the normal trappings of success. The second mountain? That’s where the magic (and joy!) exists: where we move beyond ourselves and COMMIT (important word for this book!) to giving ourselves most fully to something bigger than ourselves. David identifies four potential commitments: to our families, to our vocations, to our faith/philosophy of life and to our communities. Ultimately, the book is intended to be a guide to the ULTIMATE quest in life: “The Quest for a Moral Life.” Get The Second Mountain on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Mountain-David-Brooks/dp/0812993268 Learn more about David Brooks: https://www.optimize.me/authors/david-brooks/ ► RELATED RESOURCES: Big Idea 1: HAPPINESS VS. JOY - PNTV: Falling Upward by Richard Rohr → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbYeFrbnDQE - PN: The Power of Ideals by Anne Colby and William Damon → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-power-of-ideals-william-damon-anne-colby/ - PN: The Road to Character by David Brooks → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-road-to-character-david-brooks/ - The 5 (Greek) Keys to Optimizing | Areté + Eudaimonia + en*theos + Hērōs + Euthymia (#200) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-5-greek-keys-to-optimizing/ - +1: Eulogy Virtues | How to Chisel on Your Road to Character (#212) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eulogy-virtues/ - +1: The Mountain-Races of Life | And How to Win Them (#1066) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-mountain-races-of-life/ Big Idea 2: THE COMMITTED LIFE - +1: Eudaimonism vs. Hedonism | Don’t Want to Be Depressed? Science Says… (#1166) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eudaimonism-vs-hedonism/ - +1: Success Doesn’t Matter in This World | Commitment Does (#1078) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/success-doesnt-matter-in-this-world/ Big Idea 3: VOCATION - Viktor Frankl → https://www.optimize.me/authors/viktor-frankl/ - +1: Don’t Aim at Success | Dedicate Yourself to a Cause Bigger Than Yourself (#1040) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/dont-aim-at-success/ - +1: Your Specific Mission in Life | You Have One… What Is It? (#1041) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-specific-mission-in-life/ Big Idea 4: RECOMMITMENT - +1: Recommitment | Commitment Is Easy - It's ALL about Recommitting (#154) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/recommitment/ - +1: Falling in Love vs. STANDING in Love | One’s a Lot Easier than the Other (#134) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/falling-in-love-vs-standing-in-love/ Big Idea 5: FLASHLIGHT VS. HAMMER - +1: Flashlight vs. Hammer | How Are You Using Life's Data? (#1088) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/flashlight-vs-hammer/ - +1: The Optimize Compass | And How to Make One (#1128) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-optimize-compass/ - Conquering Perfectionism 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-perfectionism/ - Conquering Anxiety 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-anxiety/ - Conquering Depression 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-depression/ ► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL: Get the PhilosophersNote on The World According to Mister Rogers and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/ ► MORE GOODNESS: - Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/ - Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/ - Subscribe to the Optimize Pod