Soul Work
Soul Work offers a refreshingly unconventional approach to the quest for satisfying work. Rather than focusing on matching occupations against personality traits as many other books do, this book advocates finding one’s ideal job through one’s calling. That is, drawing on strengths, life experiences, personal needs, and goals to arrive at meaningful work.
Written by counseling and career development professionals Deborah Bloch and Lee Richmond, Soul Work uses a series of scenarios involving career change within the context of seven spiritual themes. The stories make good practical examples of everyday situations illustrating career issues. They are very insightful-discussing the tensions between traditional expectations and contemporary realities, paid versus unpaid roles, coping with change and letting go, the impact of values on a career choice, and the importance of security. Following each story is a discussion of the major points and related career issues, along with helpful exercises for personal reflection, analysis and meditation.
The book’s goal is to help readers find the correlation between one’s calling and one’s work in order to reach a harmonious balance. The emphasis is on finding work that satisfies one’s deeper spiritual needs rather than a fast-track career seeking only financial advancement.
Soul Work is geared toward readers who are facing or contemplating a job or career change, or who are seeking a balance in life roles. It’s great at putting into perspective one’s work and family life, and it gives those who are stuck in a career rut or forced into a job change the hope that meaningful work is achievable. Like the wise person in each story that gives guidance, Soul Work gives food for thought.
Reviewed by
Cindy Patuszynski
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
