"Seek to make a difference in the lives of others. If you focus only on your self-fulfillment you will have missed the point."

An interview with
Susan Whitbourne

The Search for Fulfillment: Revolutionary New Research That Reveals the Secret to Long-term Happiness

Susan K. Whitbourne I have always been interested in development because I am fascinated with the ways that people change over time. When I was lucky enough to inherit data from college students tested 10 years before my professional career began, I decided that I would follow them up and have just kept going ever since until by now they are in their late 50s. My inspiration in writing the book was to share with the world the findings from my study with the inspiring message that change is possible at any age.

Dr. Frank You assert that "no matter how old or how content you might currently feel, it is never too late to steer your life toward a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction." Tell us more about your thinking on this.

Susan K. Whitbourne In my study, I focused on the feelings of satisfaction that people get from making a difference in the lives of others. By observing how people changed over the 40 years of the study, I could see that some people were able to steer their lives into a more positive and fulfilling direction.

Dr. Frank In your book, you write about five different life pathways and how readers can find the right pathway for them for enhancing their feelings of satisfaction. How did you develop this concept and how can mid lifers use them?

Susan K. Whitbourne When I first began to examine the narratives based on the lives of the people in my study I saw that they clustered into groupings. I then used this framework of the five pathways to organize the data from everyone in the study. Mid lifers can use the information presented in the book to diagnose their own pathway. Then they can read the “action plans” to learn how they can make changes in their pathway to achieve greater fulfillment. Change doesn’t need to come about all in one step. As I point out in the book, there are mini-changes that people can make, taking baby steps, until their goals align with their experiences.

Dr. Frank There are many books devoted to change and personal development. What do you consider your unique contribution to the field?

Susan K. Whitbourne There are many, many self-help books out there, and many of them are excellent but almost none of them are based on empirical studies. Mine is the only one that takes the results of research and translates these results into a form that everyone can learn from. I also tackle issues relevant to aging that are not often covered in other self-help books. Mid lifers can read not only about the pathways to psychological fulfillment but also about important health issues that can allow them to remain fulfilled well into their later years.

Dr. Frank In speaking for Third Agers, those between 45 and 75 like myself, a sense of purpose and fulfillment is an important concern to me. What are the key elements for attaining fulfillment?

Susan K. Whitbourne First, seek to make a difference in the lives of others. If you focus only on your self-fulfillment you will have missed the point. It’s helping others that allows us to feel the most gratified. Second, stay healthy and maintain your fitness as much as you can. Being physically and mentally active will allow you to reach your optimal growth potential. Third, remain open-minded. Even if you aren’t looking to change yourself or your situation, you can at least keep the idea of change in mind. If you do need to make changes at some point down the road it will be easier if you’ve given this some thought. Fifth, reach out and help the young. There’s nothing like mentoring a younger colleague, relative, friend, or other individual in need of help to boost your own inner feelings of having made a difference in the world.

Dr. Frank You also published the college textbook Adult Development and Aging: Biophysiosocial Perspectives in 2008. One reviewer at Amazon.com books wrote: "It's a great place to begin understanding the challenges we face as adults as we age and also what preventative measures we can employ early in adulthood to increases our chances of living a longer, healthier, more productive life." Can you mention briefly a few of these "preventive measures"?

Susan K. Whitbourne There are basically just 5 preventive measures that can help slow down or mitigate the effects of aging: 1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. 2. Be physically and mentally active. 3. Avoid drinking and driving. 4. Stay out of or protect yourself from the sun. 5. Don’t smoke. Each of these measures is proven to reduce the incidence of disease and the probability of an early death.

Dr. Frank What attitudes should midlifers and beyond develop to view their advancing years as their "best years to come?"

Susan K. Whitbourne Focus on what’s positive about getting older and take advantage of ways to keep yourself healthy for as long as possible (see my previous answers). In addition, get involved in the lives of others, particularly the young, and maintain your faith in future generations. People who become cynical and bitter as they get older have lost this connection and because they get too wrapped up in themselves, they miss out on the big picture. Finally, remind yourself that you have only this one life, and you want it to be as fulfilling as possible. However negative things might look at the moment, getting older is better than the alternative!

Dr. Frank What has brought you personally a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in your own life?

Susan K. Whitbourne I have been very fortunate to have a wonderful family. Watching my children develop into happy and intelligent young women is a major source of satisfaction. They have both chosen to become psychologists, so I feel a special pride in their having made this choice, but more importantly they are committed to become well-educated and making a contribution to the world. Whatever I am able to accomplish in my own life is of course gratifying, but my real legacy is having raised them.

Dr. Frank on an educator's view of being happy