Are we ever satisfied with the lives we’re living?
Does there ever come a time when we don’t strive to earn more money, search for that perfect job, that perfect house and family and the perfect relationship? This striving often shows up in the social media posts we share with one another.
Lately I find myself sharing less of myself on social media.
Does this mean my striving in life has waned and I’ve reached my peak life experiences just south of the age of 60?
According to nationwide polls, it appears I’ve reached and passed peak life satisfaction.
Did you know the average Minnesotan experiences peak life satisfaction at age 43?
That’s according to a survey conducted by Mixbook Photo Co., a technology platform for making photobooks.
It had 3,442 people age 65 and older respond to the survey.
The survey took a deep look at when the average American believed they had obtained peak life satisfaction — a happiness with the trajectory of their lives, jobs, friends, family and relationships.
While Minnesotans indicated their peak satisfaction at age 43, the national average was 44.
Surveys indicated by that time in their lives they had a family, an established career, a stable home, and hopefully, an income that allowed spending on vacations, cars, dining out, etc.
There were variations between states.
Marylanders reached this point at a relatively young age of 37. Comparatively, Vermonters reached contentedness at age 63.
The survey also found that 52 percent of respondents felt the pandemic increased their satisfaction with life.
I found myself drawing closer to what I have — during the pandemic days in 2020 and 2021.
The result of being quarantined is that we took stock of what’s important — spending more quality time with loved ones and appreciating what we have.
It's not so surprising that a photo book company would say relationships and celebrating memories are what people are the happiest with.
I created one of those memories recently, traveling two hours to attend a five-minute school program performance by my oldest grandchild.
It was her first, and a few tears were still falling when she walked on the stage with her fellow kindergartners.
When she caught a glimpse of her parents and her grandparents in the stands, however, a giant smile appeared.
And, yes, her first concert became a social media post — and my satisfaction with life will increase as she grows.