Global Issues
The Ultimate Second Act
The Unfinished Presidency by Douglas Brinkley
Many of us will confront a luxury that our parents and grandparents never dreamed possible: the opportunity to create and live a “second act” of our adult lives. Retirement was once a brief window, enjoyed by the few and often filled with travel, television, and tedium. Now, as people retire earlier and live longer, many are discovering that there are two, three, or even four decades to fill.
Ideally, older people would watch the curtain rise on Act 2. Yet many Americans are failing miserably at creating a second life. A doctor friend of mine at a private clinic in Vail, Colo., reports that the leading prescription drug for wealthy retirees is antidepressants and the biggest family counseling problem is alcoholism. Rather than seizing the opportunity to use the wisdom of age and experience to redefine themselves, many Americans choose to languish. For those interested in staging a second act, I strongly encourage reading The Unfinished Presidency, a stunningly inspiring and entertaining account of President Jimmy Carter’s “journey beyond the White House.” Noted historian Douglas G. Brinkley provides an account in depth of Carter’s resurrection from a failed one-term President to a widely respected, globe-trotting do-gooder.
The ashes from which this phoenix rose were formidable. Three major failures marked Carter’s presidency: 52 American hostages held for more than a year in Iran; an inflation rate of 13.5 percent; and unemployment of 7.5 percent. The nation felt humiliated by the Iran situation, and the economic conditions were so bad that presidential candidate Ronald Reagan talked of a “misery index” that was calculated by adding together the inflation and unemployment rates.
It would have been easy for Carter to retreat to a dark corner and quietly lick his wounds. Or perhaps follow President Gerald Ford’s example and retire to the golf course. Carter, however, chose to find his redemption through action. With wife Rosalynn by his side, he donned coveralls and hammered nails on Habitat for Humanity building projects and launched the Carter Center in Atlanta. He flew (commercial!) to locations from Africa to Latin America to supervise elections and agitated for Middle East peace in various power centers. He launched an ambitious drive to wipe the treacherous guinea worm off the face of the Earth and age 69 summited Mount Fuji. Never had the world seen such a peripatetic ex- President, nor one so devoted to helping create a more just and peaceful world.
I often consulted this book during my own journey of discovery. I spent Act 1 of my adult life working for nearly a decade at Microsoft Corp. For Act 2, I dreamed of launching an NGO (Room to Read) that would bring books and libraries to millions children across the developing world. But was fearful of the loss of income and status that would be the doppelganger to this move. And then Brinkley’s book struck me like a gauntlet: If Carter could find a meaningful life after being the most powerful man on Earth, then what was to stop a mid-level 35-year-old executive from doing the same?
Many of us will have the great good fortune to have time for a second act, to do what my friend Dipak Jain, dean of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, calls “moving from success to significance.” We would do well to learn all we can from Carter’s inspiring example. By reading (or rereading) this book, all of us can aspire to aim high while contemplating our next acts.
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COMMENTS
BY Gerald Rodriguez
ON August 13, 2009 06:49 PM
Given that Carter’s was a failed presidency and is currently failing in his attempt at diplomacy, I can’t see how anyone can see him as an example of exercising a “successful” second career. You would think he would have learned a vital lesson the first go-around. And you would also think that others would learn a critical lesson from his past and current dismal attempts. Such is life, I guess.
BY Jim L
ON August 13, 2009 10:19 PM
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this book. I will add it to my reading list. Anything that will help the intimidating chasm between life in the pursuit of wealth accumulation and life in the pursuit of something different - and hopefully - greater I am all for the insights and topics that Pres. Carter presents here.
Maybe a review of a review is what will prompt me to read this book as I think it’s a shame that some lack experiences/wisdom and deem another actions, attempts, results or whatever as dismal.
BY Dr.YKK
ON August 13, 2009 10:34 PM
I agree with the author but why stop at two? Life will be more satisfying and fulfilling if we try sometime new after a success or failure. Sometimes, we couldn’t find out life’s calling unless something dramatic, whether good or bad happens to us. Actually, good or bad is just a matter of interpretation. If you look at the lives of highly regarded people, the so-called “bad” things that happened to them literally transformed their lives. Oprah Winfrey is an excellent example.
Bill Gates started off as a computer geek, then transformed into the world’s richest man and now the world’s most generous philanthropist.
All of us have the creative streak in us. Some of us need to constantly reinvent ourselves while others do it less regularly. But without trying out new things we may never truly ever discover our true potential!
BY Gary Maxworthy
ON August 14, 2009 11:17 AM
how can Mr Rodriguez completely ignore the so many positive contributions that Mr Carter has made during his encore career??
Picking perceived specific negatives only, does not make for a balanced comment.
BY Lee Van Horn
ON August 14, 2009 12:51 PM
Regarding Mr. Carter, success or failure seems to be in the “eye of the beholder.” As your comments in the review make clear, the real failure is not to try! And this is Mr. Carter’s signature achievement, he has tried and tried and tried. Certainly in this respect he is a role model for all of us.
BY Leslie Kruth
ON August 14, 2009 05:40 PM
And what have you done Mr. Rodriguez to TRY to make the world a better place? Everything you touch must turn to gold to make a comment like that!
BY Anna
ON August 15, 2009 08:35 PM
It’s great if people want to do more than golf and watch TV once they retire. But Carter as a role model? Let’s get real. The guy is beyond naive, and terribly bigoted.
If you’re looking for a good read, I recommend Carter’s masterpiece Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Excellent scholarly work. ;-p
BY barbara gordon
ON August 20, 2009 05:06 AM
you might disagree with his foreign policies, as do I, but you have to admire a person that sees a problem and formulates a plan for carrying it out. His habitat for humanity has proven to be one of the best methods for organizing communities to work together for a common cause. Where else would you find a MD, Rabbi, unemployed steel worker, preacher, recovering addict, single mother and grandparent working to build something for a stranger in their community. hats off to Jimmy Carter for persevering to see his idea become a reality. this program is really a template for segregated countries and societies to work together.
BY A.K.
ON August 28, 2009 10:31 AM
To me, President Carter’s case shows that being a good person may not necessarily be a good leader. It was interesting that Carter managed to won the presidential election over Edward Kennedy. Thank you, Anna, for recommending Carter’s “Peace Not Apartheid.” I agree that Carter could give the impression of being bigoted, although he may or may not be so. I think it has to do with his personality that appears to be righteous at all times; Worse, it appears as if righteousness is the only way to go, while the population is so diverse, so are the means to achieve philanthropism. He seems to be limited in people skills. May be his personal background did not land him to a managerial charm, while it comes natural for many others. Nevertheless, President Carter is in focus of our assessments. What about ourselves, who has the right to be bigoted and throw the first stone? President Carer had a fail presidency. Yes. He was a failed leader. Have we heard anything shameful about him, otherwise, under the sun or under the moon? He is a fervently constructive citizen. So respect is due, whether we personally like him or not.
His work collectively offers us something to learn from, as little or as much as Charles Darwin and many others do, although worthy of being modeled after or not is a matter or opinion and choice.