"Our lives exist on a continuum between two poles: fulfillment and regret. We invest enormous resources of time and energy into staying healthy, being recognized for our achievements, nurturing our relationships, and making money. When we make the right investments, we earn our lives: our choices, risks, and efforts lead us to a rewarding outcome that we regard as fair and just, regardless of external validation. But how can we know if we're investing in the right things? How can we ensure that our 'earned rewards' add up to an overarching sense of purpose in our lives? ... Goldsmith shows us how to live our own lives--not someone else's version of them. The key to living the earned life, unbound by regret, requires our commitment to a habit of earning and connecting it to something greater than the isolated achievements of our personal ambition"--