Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: August 15, 2008
Who among us has not considered another career? Whether your job is not providing enough financial compensation, or not enough personal satisfaction, whether you have a lousy boss, or you maybe you’ve been down-sized, the desire to do “something else” is a not uncommon. Yet, making such a change is no easy. A bit of guidance would be helpful. That is where the Sedona Public Library comes in – we have lots of books that can assist you as you figure out what sort of new career would be right for you.
The grandfather of all books on rethinking your working career is Richard Bolles’ What Color is Your Parachute? Truth be known, I used this book when I made the change from food service to librarian and I am convinced that it was the correct move. Full of self-examination exercises to give you a better understanding of your skills, strengths and natural inclinations, it offers you a path to dig deeply into yourself and learn what manner of career would give you the most satisfaction. Updated every couple of years, whether it is an “older” title or not, it remains relevant and worthwhile.
Thomas Moore gained popularity with his Care of the Soul, but his newest book, A Life at Work, is based on the premise that your chosen avocation should give you a sense of joy and satisfaction. In his book, you learn about the “joy of discovering what you were born to do.” In it, Moore “explores the often difficult process – the obstacles, blocks, and hardships of our own making – that we go through on our way to discovering our purpose.” As readable as his other works, Moore provides a wonderful resource of delving into our true purpose in life.
Some of us are shy, others more gregarious. Imagine being in a job that doesn’t take into account basic personality features, forever forcing the person to be someone he or she is truly capable of being. The new book, Do What you Are, by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron gives you the tools to discover the perfect career for you through the secrets of personality type. It provides you with the tools to understand how you process information, make decisions, and interact with the world around you. With this understanding of yourself, you can more easily find the career that is right for you.
If one person’s insight into the topic is good, the insight of fifty should be fifty times better, right? In The Power of Experience, that many great writers opine on the quest for a lifetime of meaning. Not necessarily restricted to career matters, the authors examine the value of a life lived deeply in which wisdom is gained and accessible. Presenting the ideas and thoughts of such notable writers as Gail Sheehy (author of the Passages books), Mary Oliver, a remarkable Southwestern writer, Amy Tan, Robert Bly, Elmore Leonard and many more, it presents a wide range of ideas based on experience. Maybe you don’t have a job you want to change, but only wish to “live deeply” – this book will prove a satisfying read.
Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto and other titles, writes in her small book What Now? Explores the arc of her varied life and asks, “What now represents our excitement and our future, the very vitality of life?” Highlighting the possibilities of the unknown, she reminds the reader that there is as much joy in the journey as there is in reaching the destination.
Sometimes, just learning to be comfortable with life as it is, not as it should be is the best lesson of all. Given our penchant for wanting the “next thing,” Eleanor Wiley believes that There Are No Mistakes in our lives, only rich experiences that have the opportunity to let wisdom grow in our hearts. She helps the reader to recognize the need for and gain the ability to know where you came from, know your story, accept yourself, laugh at yourself, take care of yourself, and more. It may be a short read, but it holds lots of gems within its pages.
Finally, there are moments in life that offer up the chance for change if we only recognize that opportunity. Jeanne Safer wrote Death Benefits: How Losing a Parent Can Change an Adult’s Life – For the Better. Having recently lost my father, I was intrigued by the book’s premise. I didn’t have a relationship that could be called problematic the end of which might have offered a new start, but Safer’s basic questions for self-examination can open one’s eyes to things even the happiest of parent-child relationships might have disguised. And if you did have a challenging relationship with your parent, moving beyond it can be hugely beneficial. I believe that there is something here for most readers.
