For this remarkable book and the upcoming companion television program to be aired on PBS, Dr. John Izzo and his colleagues surveyed more than two hundred people ages 60 to 106 on what it means to find happiness. These people, identified by others as having lived happy lives and as having found purpose and contentment, offer valuable advice on what really matters in life. Presented here by Dr. Izzo, he also gives guidance on how to put this cumulative wisdom into practice. The interviewees, ranging from aboriginal elders to town barbers, from Holocaust survivors to former CEOs, reflect back on their lives to identify the sources of happiness and meaning as well as lessons learned, regrets, and major crossroads. Based on these interviews and Dr. Izzo's twenty years of experience helping people find more spirit and purpose, the book is an exploration of the secrets to finding contentment and happiness.

“What brought you the greatest joy? What do you wish you had learned sooner? What ultimately mattered and what didn't?” asks Dr. John Izzo. Based on a highly acclaimed public television series, this book takes the reader on a heartwarming and profound journey to find lasting happiness. Imagine for a moment that you are about to take a foreign vacation to an exotic destination. You have saved your entire life to travel there. It is a destination with almost unlimited choices of how to spend your time and you know you will not have enough time to explore every opportunity. You are fairly certain that you will never get to take a second trip to this destination; this will be your one opportunity. Now imagine that someone informs you that there are several people in your neighborhood who have been to that country, explored every corner. Some of them enjoyed the journey and have few regrets, but others wish they could take the trip again knowing what they know now. Would you not invite them over for dinner, ask them to bring their photographs, listen to their stories, and hear their advice? This is precisely the journey explored in this book. Dr. John Izzo and his colleagues interviewed over 200 people, ages 60-106, who were identified by friends and acquaintances as “the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning.” From town barbers to Holocaust survivors, from aboriginal chiefs to CEOs, these people had over 18,000 years of life experience between them. He asked them questions like, “What brought you the greatest joy? What do you wish you had learned sooner? What ultimately mattered and what didn't?” Here Izzo shares their stories—funny, moving, and thought-provoking—and the Five Secrets he learned from listening to them. This book will make you laugh, bring you to tears, and inspire you to discover what matters long before you die.

What are the secrets to finding happiness? Why do some people live well and die happy? John Izzo asked thousands of people to identify the wisest person they knew. "The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die" shares what he learned from over 200 people aged 60-106 whom others said had found the meaning in life. From town barbers to Holocaust survivors, from aboriginal chiefs to CEO's, these people had over 18,000 years of life experience. With warmth and wit, this book shares the "Five Secrets" to a happy and purpose-filled life which Izzo distilled from listening to these stories. Dr. Izzo also shows the reader how to put these secrets into practice in our lives. This book will make you laugh, bring you to tears, and inspire you to discover what matters long before you die. Based on a highly acclaimed TV series appearing on public television, this book takes the reader on a heart-warming and profound journey to find lasting happiness.

This is precisely the journey explored in this book. Dr. John Izzo and his colleagues interviewed over 200 people over the age of sixty who were identified by others as having lived happy lives and as having found purpose and contentment. The interviewees ranged from aboriginal elders to town barbers, from Hollocaust survivors to former CEO s. In these interviews, each person was asked to reflect back on his or her life to identify the sources of happiness and meaning as well as lessons learned, regrets, major crossroads, and what did not contribute to meaning in their lives. Based on these interviews, and Dr. Izzo s twenty years experience helping people find more spirit and purpose, the book explores the secrets to finding contentment, happiness, and purpose. Using a powerful narrative voice, Dr. Izzo helps the reader understand the common themes from the lives of those interviewed, the commonality of what really matters in their lives, and especially how to put this wisdom into practice.

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