What
Should I Do with My Life?
by Po Bronson
Po Bronson has written a best seller, and it's on the
NYTimes list for a reason. He includes in the book the
stories of over 90 of the 600 people he interviewed. All
of them had asked the question: "What Should I Do with
My Life?" Reading the book won't answer the question for
you or anyone else. However, it will tell you how other
people learned how to answer the question.
The
Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for
Life
by Laurie Beth Jones
by Laurie Beth Jones
a Laurie Beth Jones begins her book with
these words: "My uncle once told me that during World
War II if an unidentified soldier appeared suddenly in
the dark and could not state his mission, he was
automatically shot without question. I wonder what would
happen if we reinsituted that policy today."
Jones
then begins to help each individual come to a sense of
her/his own personal mission in life. She begins with
the eleven false assumptions about missions including
such things as: "Geography is destiny", "A mission must
be full of suffering", and "My mission has to be a grand
one or help a lot of people." Through a variety of
simple exercises she provides an understandable and
usable process that helps establish true mission apart
from what one thinks one ought to do, and apart from
what others think one ought to do.. Through Biblical
stories and images like Jesus' parable of the talents,
the Psalms, and role models like Esther, Nehemiah, Moses
and others, she offers strategies not only for finding
one's mission but also fulfilling one's mission.
This book is VERY user friendly. It's easy to read,
interesting, humorous, and down to earth. Everyone form
a high school student to person seeking to change
careers can benefit from Jones' book, regardless of
whether he or she plans to become a minister. Review By: Landa Harris Simmons
Heeding Your Life's Calling by Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro
Leider and Shapiro are leading authors and consultants
who want to help people find meaning and purpose in
their work by understanding what they are called to do.
Their research has shown that the single most important
thing in the lives of the folks they've met is: "the
challenge of discovering meaningful work." They use a
series of "calling cards" to help discover an
individual's natural preferences and gradually narrow
these down until one can find their "Calling Card."
Chapters in their book include: "What Do I Want to Be
When I Grow Up?", "Gifts--Is My Job My Calling?", and
"Values--Where Do I Get Connected?" Review by: Landa Harris Simmons
"Let Your Life Speak: Listening for
the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer
In "Let Your Life Speak" Parker Palmer speaks of
listening for the voice of vocation (from the Latin word
vocare, which means voice). Rather than telling
your life what you want to do, let your life speak (an
old Quaker saying) to you, telling you what of the life
that wants to live in you. This is the best book
I've seen that speaks of what it means to have a calling
-- whether its to the ministry or to sell used cars, we
all have a calling. Life is only a matter of
whether or not we want to listen to that call.
Review by Russell Peterman
Anything by
:
- when you need a good laugh, or a good cry,
or both.
"A
Passion for the Possible" by William Sloane Coffin Jr.
William Sloane Coffin speaks a message to the church,
and more specifically to the leaders of the church,
about how the church needs to find its voice to speak a
message of hope and resurrection to the world.
Touching on virtually all of the major controversial
social issues of our era, Coffin encourages the church
stand up and be bold. This incredible book also
contains a chapter entitled "Career vs. Calling" that
encourages young people to pay attention to their
calling. He distinguishes the difference this way:
"a career seeks to be successful, a calling to be
valuable. A career tries to make money, a calling
tries to make a difference." (p.77). Review by Russell Peterman
Copyright
2008, Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) in Georgia, All rights reserved.
What
Should I Do with My Life?
The
Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for
Life
Heeding Your Life's Calling
What
to Expect in Seminary : Theological Education As
Spiritual Formation
"Let Your Life Speak: Listening for
the Voice of Vocation
The
Heart Aroused : Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul
in Corporate America
The
Unnecessary Pastor : Rediscovering the Call
"A
Passion for the Possible" 