The Meaning of Your Life

Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness

By: Arthur C. Brooks

Narrated by: Arthur C. Brooks

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of From Strength to Strength, the definitive account of how the modern world makes meaning so hard to find—and a plan to discover your life’s deepest purpose.

If you struggle to discern life’s meaning, you’re not alone. Millions today describe a growing sense of emptiness, a lack of purpose and significance. And there’s a reason: Rapid cultural, economic, and technological changes have rewired our brains, reducing their ability to perceive depth and purpose.

In The Meaning of Your Life, social scientist and happiness expert Arthur C. Brooks shows you how to push back against these changes and find the meaning you need to live a happy, fulfilling life. Relying on cutting-edge science, he offers practical, evidence-based strategies for breaking free of the powerful trends and personal habits that dull your focus on the why of your life. Drawing on the great philosophers and the world’s faith traditions, he shows how everyone can—and must—approach life’s most important and mysterious questions and provides a blueprint that will help even the most skeptical person find a life of spiritual transcendence, passionate love, and true calling.

“What is the meaning of my life?” is not an unanswerable question, but rather the start of a pilgrimage into unexplored corners of your consciousness. The Meaning of Your Life is your handbook for this journey.

Critic reviews

“My friend Arthur C. Brooks clearly articulates how to live a meaningful, compassionate, and purposeful life.” —HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

“As I follow the principles that Arthur Brooks presents, I am becoming happier. I’m actually having fun, too—a word that previously didn’t exist in my vocabulary.” —OPRAH WINFREY, global media leader and coauthor of Build the Life You Want

“Arthur Brooks is America’s most soulful social scientist. From the day I met him in 2007, it was clear that his life’s work was to increase human flourishing. Over the years he has transformed from data geek to passionate preacher, teaching us all how to live, work, and age well in our rapidly changing society.” —JONATHAN HAIDT, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University Stern School of Business and author of The Anxious Generation and The Righteous Mind

“Arthur has shaped the way I see, the way I pray, and the way I interact with students on a daily basis.” —FATHER MIKE SCHMITZ, University of Minnesota Duluth campus chaplain and host of the podcast The Bible in a Year

“Every conversation I have with Arthur leaves me with a clearer perspective on what it means to live a meaningful life.” —SIMON SINEK, author of Start with Why and The Infinite Game and host of the podcast A Bit of Optimism

“Arthur Brooks guides us to figure out how to live by focusing on the why. These pages can show anyone that meaning isn’t lost, just waiting to be found.” —SHERYL SANDBERG, founder of Lean In

“If you really want a change in your life and are seeking deeper meaning, congratulations. You have found the perfect book.” —HODA KOTB, former Today host and CEO of Joy 101