Is Your Life Successful?: Answers and Anecdotes From Over 200 Everyday People

by Frank H. Boehm

Overview

"Filled with eloquent, sincere answers, the results are truly touching... For readers who enjoy the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, this soothing work will reassure that all one needs is love." —Publishers Weekly

Am I living my life to the fullest?

It’s a question we all ask ourselves, yet there is no universal answer. In Is Your Life Successful?, Dr. Frank Boehm guides readers through an entertaining, insightful, and ultimately hopeful exploration of life’s joy and hardships. Through years of interviews, Boehm curated more than 200 stories from people spanning all ages and backgrounds. Enjoy stories from figures like former Senator Bob Corker and singer-songwriter Tonya Tucker to nurses, lawyers, Uber drivers, those with special needs, people experiencing homelessness, and more.

Fans of If I Could Tell You Just One Thing... will delight in this fulfilling journey to discover their own definition of what it means to live a successful life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684426980
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	10/12/2021
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Dr. Frank H. Boehm is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt UniversityMedical Center. He was on the faculty for 47 years, specializing in the field of Maternal Fetal Medicine. Dr. Boehm, a nationally known expert in the field of electronic fetal monitoring, has authored over 250 scientific papers as well as two books which deal with patient physician relationships, Doctors Cry, Too and Building Patient Doctor Trust, which were based on his 18 year “Healing Words” bi-monthly op-ed columns in The Tennessean. For fifteen years, Boehm served as the Chair of the Vanderbilt Medical Center Ethics Committee and Vice Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has received numerous prestigious teaching awards at Vanderbilt, one of which is in his name. In 2014 Boehm received the coveted Human Relations Award from Community Nashville. Dr. Boehm has been a prominent leader in the Nashville Jewish community, serving as president of the Nashville Jewish Federation and the Nashville Jewish Foundation. Boehm and his wife, Julie, live in Nashville, Tennessee and Boca Raton, Florida.

Table of Contents

Foreword Rabbi Mark Schiftan viii

Introduction x

Chapter 1 How Do We Define a Successful Life? 1

Chapter 2 The Young 29

Chapter 3 The Maturing Age 47

Chapter 4 The Mature 65

Chapter 5 The Older 129

Chapter 6 A Personal Point of View 157

Chapter 7 Conclusion 179

Notes 205

Index 207

About the Author 221

Editorial Reviews

08/23/2021

In this contemplative volume, OB-GYN Boehm (Doctors Cry, Too) considers what makes a successful life through a wide assortment of interviews. Nearing retirement and reflecting on his life, Boehm wondered how others defined success at the end of one’s days. To answer the question, he interviewed those from diverse socioeconomic situations and different stages of life. In response, most explain they’ve succeeded if they have strong family ties, solid friendships, and work that feels meaningful. Filled with eloquent, sincere answers, the results are truly touching. As a wealth manager expresses: “While financial assets give one security and perhaps freedom, they do not define success. I have seen many individuals with every earthly pleasure at their disposal and yet still unfulfilled.” Beverly, a strong-minded paraplegic, reminds readers that “her definition of a successful life is one in which ‘I have had a purposeful life.’ ” One of Boehm’s most noteworthy, insightful concepts is the idea of success by proxy: success is one’s children being safe and doing well, rather than one’s own personal gains. For readers who enjoy the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, this soothing work will reassure that all one needs is love. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

What a fun guide to our own lives, and for people of all ages! Everyone needs this book because everyone wants to be successful, and the best way to do that is to learn from others. Frank Boehm found 200 such role models for us. We identify with them because Frank listened so carefully and tenderly to their stories . . . just like the superb physician that he is. Frank shows us the reset button in our lives so that we can become our best selves.” —Jim Cooper, U.S. Congressman

"Dr. Boehm’s gifts as a physician and scholar are surpassed only by his extraordinary talent for illuminating the metacognitive perspective on human experience. His earlier writings, from Doctors Cry, Too to decades of editorials published in The Tennessean and other media, have given readers a special sensitivity to the emotional and cognitive manifestations of healing, living, and dying. Here, Dr. Boehm poignantly explores the ages and stages of meaning-making through people sharing their own compelling stories, giving us all food for thought as we reflect on our own." —Jeff Balser, MD, PhD. CEO, Vanderbilt UniversityMedical Center

"This book is filled with heart, humor, and amazing wake-up calls–as inspiring and original as it is fun. You might even expand your personal definition of a successful life like I did." —Arnold Shapiro, Academy Award & Emmy Award–Winning Producer

"Dr. Frank Boehm, an astute lifelong observer of human nature as a beloved and respected physician, artfully weaves the wisdom he gleaned from conversations with 200 remarkable people into a thought provoking and compassionate guide for fulfillment and success." —Bill Frist, U.S. Senator

"We all want to be happy and successful. Frank has put his magic touch on a book filled with his inspiration and wisdom and with insight from people of every walk of life. This is a book you will want to read more than once." —Crystal Gayle, Grammy Award–Winning Singer and Songwriter

"As we age, our perspective on what success is matures, as Frank demonstrates with his many interviews in Is Your Life Successful?. We can benefit from these insights to think about our own lives and take steps to ensure that the success we pursue is in the final analysis, that which we ourselves truly value." —Senator Bob Corker

"Frank has been my friend always and has given me the best advice throughout the years. There’s no doubt, he’s one of the best at what he does. Many people go to their grave never realizing their accomplishments or their self-worth and I’m sure some do, thinking they were more successful than they really were! This book will shed light on what success feels like to people from different walks of life and will leave you pondering and asking yourself if you feel like your life’s been successful. You may be surprised by your answer!" —Tanya Tucker, Award-Winning Singer and Songwriter

From the Publisher