Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Close Banner
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

5 Books That Helped Me Find & Follow My Life's Purpose

Jude Temple, R.N.
Author:
August 11, 2016
Jude Temple, R.N.
Registered Nurse
By Jude Temple, R.N.
Registered Nurse
Jude Temple, R.N. is a master certified life coach and a registered nurse.
Image by Image Supply Co / Stocksy
August 11, 2016

Have you been looking for a book that will help you create real change in your life? Do you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of self-help titles available at your local bookstore? Do you wish someone would just tell you which ones are actually worth reading?

The following books were total game-changers for me. I recommend them to my coaching clients all the time, and I can't wait to share them with you. Get ready to take your outlook, your career, and your life from drudgery to deliciousness with five of my favorite tried-and-trusted, life-transforming titles.

1. "Callings: Finding And Following An Authentic Life" by Gregg Levoy

Photo by Amazon

Callings is the definitive operator's manual for discovering and living your life's purpose. In his incredible tome, Levoy explains what a calling is, how to recognize yours, and even how to invoke a calling. He examines the myriad ways we say no to our passions, why we say no, as well as the painful ecstasy of fully stepping into one's purpose. It is beautifully written and breathes truth in every line. If you have no clue where to begin on your search for your life's purpose, start with this book.

“Since there is fear and suffering in life, whether or not we take on adventures, whether or not we follow our callings, we might as well suffer in the service of our dreams.” —Gregg Levoy

2. "Steering By Starlight: The Science And Magic Of Finding Your Destiny" by Martha Beck

Photo by Amazon

Steering by Starlight is equal parts evidence-based research, hands-on tools, and profound insight. It is chock-full of practical step-by-step exercises that are incredibly revealing. It's also wickedly funny. I laughed out loud when I first read it, which is saying something since I was so miserable in my job at the time that I only half-jokingly tried to work out how I might engineer getting hit by a bus just so I could have a few weeks off work.

If you want to learn to live your passion while enjoying a good giggling, Martha's signature hyperbole in Steering by Starlight is the way to go.

"Our imaginations can fixate on catastrophes that are so vague and hard to ward off that they fill us with anxiety that has no clear action implication: The Republicans (or the Democrats) are trying to ruin our lives! Our feet are filled with toxins, which can be removed only thought the diligent use of coffee enemas!" —Martha Beck

3. "Let Your Life Speak: Listening For The Voice Of Vocation" by Parker Palmer

Photo by Amazon

Don't let the diminutive size of Palmer's Let Your Life Speak fool you. At a mere 116 pages, this book is packed with the wisdom of Palmer's own journey through his disillusionment with academic life, his subsequent depression, and his eventual realization that one's vocation "is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received."

In a genre that often focuses on what to do to discover one's passion, Let Your Life Speak instead focuses on the art of simply listening to what your life is already communicating to you. Palmer argues that no matter how strong your will, when you are on the wrong path, your life will tell you. Conversely, when you hit upon something that truly lights you up, no amount of failure, shame, or false starts will dampen your ardor for that path.

"A good scientist does not fear the death of a hypothesis, because that 'failure' clarifies the steps that need to be taken toward truth, sometimes more than a hypothesis that succeeds." —Parker Palmer

4. "Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With The Heart Of A Buddha" by Tara Brach

Photo by Amazon

What would happen if you stopped fighting against the unpleasant aspects of your life? What if you stopped trying desperately to hold onto the pleasures? What if you stopped berating yourself and simply accepted who you really are, without judgment? This is what Brach challenges us to do in Radical Acceptance.

As both a Buddhist and a Western-trained psychologist, Brach shares her wisdom, compassion, and experience in her very practical guide to receiving life exactly as it is with humility, gentleness, and kindheartedness.

"Whenever we reject part of our being, we are confirming to ourselves our fundamental unworthiness. Underneath 'I shouldn't get so angry' lies 'There's something wrong with me if I do,'" —Tara Brach

5. "Outrageous Openness: Letting The Divine Take The Lead" by Tosha Silver

Photo by Amazon

On first pass, Silver's book feels light, playful, and sweet. Sort of like a grown-up, literary version of a Kinder Egg toy; a captivating series of tiny, interlocking parts that delight as they come together. But soon you discover that her book also contains genuine treasure.

Her small, bite-size chapters transform before your eyes into an enchanting and unmistakably wise whole. Silver is a Yale-educated practitioner of all things "woo-woo" including astrology and yogic philosophy. Her book is unlike anything else you are likely to have read. Outrageous Openness is practical magic in print form that leaves the reader enchanted and refreshed at close of cover.

"If you ask the Universe to bring what's right, you can't go wrong. I've watched through thousands of readings how trouble invariably follows when someone tries to commandeer what is not theirs. Even the word disaster means 'going against the stars.' But Divine order always brings the right solution at the right time. You learn to relax and follow the cosmically ordained route when it appears. You can't miss it." —Tosha Silver

Do you have other stellar titles you could suggest? What books have changed your life? Leave me your suggestions—I always on the look out for amazing book recommendations!

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

Nutrition | Rich Roll

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Related Videos (10)

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

What to Eat Before a Workout

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

More On This Topic

more Mindfulness
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.