I heard this from Arthur Brooks (American Enterprise Institute) last week at a public debate.

What’s the most depressing year of a man’s life?

When he turns 45.

Why?

• Because it’s at that age that most guys recognize that the things they are trained to do and have gone through years of schooling for, and the things they are most excited and passionate about, are actually two different things that may never intersect with each other.

The unsettling realization that “I don’t want to be an accountant, yet we have a mortgage and two college bills to pay” dooms that man into thinking that his life is essentially, over. He is locked into this course of action for the foreseeable future, and it depresses him.

Brooks’ point was that we live in a relatively free society that allows men to change gears and move into a different direction.

My interest is in pointing out that many men wrestle with issues like this without doing deeper heart reflection into their design – their strengths, personality, styles, core values, desires – that could help shed light on what those next steps could be. I’ve seen guys make fatally awful decisions when in that moment of panic or despair.

My encouragement for any man in this position is to not fear that your life is over. God is not finished with you, and He can inspire each of us to great lives and callings - if we're willing to do the one hard thing and surrender to Him.

And I’m 44 right now. So I have one more year of happiness before I get all depressed.