Is Everyone Happier Than Me?

January 8, 2024
In this compassionate outing, Surviving Sarah podcaster Bragg (A Mother’s Guide to Raising Herself) tackles “the hard questions” of purpose, faith, and identity that arise in midlife. Routinely kept awake at night as a busy 40-something mom by a “Rolodex of fears,” Bragg would ruminate on her relationship with Christ, her tendency to compare herself to others on social media, and her feeling of being “stuck” in her fitness and personal goals. Eventually she realized that “happiness comes down to connection,” and she began seeking ways to foster her relationships with other people, from reaching out to acquaintances for coffee dates to taking a four-month-long hiatus from social media (which she contends promotes comparison, not connection). Not all of Bragg’s practices stuck, and not all will suit each reader (“Happiness doesn’t look the same to everyone,” Bragg acknowledges), but her assertion that “we’re all a work in progress” resonates, as do her candid meditations about how her faith has benefited by being challenged and tested throughout her life. This frank and chatty offering will go a long way toward helping believers feel less alone. Agent: Mike Salisbury, Yates & Yates.