Gareth O'Callaghan: At 65, I’ve learned to stop chasing happiness and start living well

Gareth O'Callaghan on ageing, time, and why contentment — not happiness — may be life’s most valuable goal

A moment of joy was when I stood on the top of the Zugspitze mountain on the border of Germany and Austria, looking out across five European countries that surrounded me.

Frank Lloyd Wright, the legendary American architect, once said: “The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.” As he grew older, he slowly became more aware of the beauty in life and the importance of investing in that beauty rather than ignoring it.

It’s difficult to see much sense in his sentiments these days when most of us are faced with a cost-of-living crisis, while staring at the unpredictability of what’s happening in the Middle East. Life promises us nothing except the numbers we call our age — I turned 65 last week.