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August 2009 Newsletter Good BooksInstead of writing substantial reviews for this issue, I'm giving myself permission to take it easy this summer. I'll briefly mention a few books of possible interest to you. Curious? “Go beyond the need to predict, understand, and control your...world. Attend to what you don't know, expand the boundaries of who you are and what you do, follow your instinct of what is interesting to you and what is interesting to other people, and this will lead to positive changes....” -Todd Kashdan In my work I observe what happens when curiosity is ignited: it turns into a powerhouse of focus and energy. Curiosity can even fill in for courage. In spite of its importance, I don't remember ever seeing an entire book devoted to the topic. Kashdan works as a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at George Mason University. His book identifies curiosity, rather than happiness, as the “central ingredient to a fulfilling life.” Kashdan introduces readers to the science of curiosity and then weaves in interesting stories to illustrate the concepts. You'll also find exercises intended to develop the “curious explorer” within. Did you know there are five significant benefits to being a curious person? Health, intelligence, meaning / purpose in life, relationships, and happiness. My one disappointment was that some of the exercises reminded me of those a researcher might use to gather data for a study.
Career Renegade: “So many others I knew had found a guru and their lives seemed so much better, more directed and purposeful for it, but that never happened to me.... Why couldn't I find that person? It finally dawned on me: The person I was looking for was the one I would need to become.... Upon that realization, I began to accept responsibility not only for my life to date, but for the process of making it come alive from that point forward.” -Jonathan Fields I don't know why, but there is something about the word “renegade” that I enjoy. So when I saw Career Renegade mentioned on Gretchen Rubin's blog The Happiness-Project, I wanted to know more. Although the title reminds me of Marsha Sinetar's Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow, one of my all-time favorites, this book is very different. Fields is into the practical, telling you what he and others have done so you can maybe do it too, but with your passion. He does a fabulous job of identifying resources, including techie tools, telling you why and how to use them, and what they can do for you. His information is rarely in-depth, but it will definitely increase your awareness and your options. You can visit www.CareerRenegade.com and download the book's introduction for free.
Spent: I just learned about this book, so I haven't read it yet. But I'm planning to check it out, thanks to Kim Ode's interesting piece, Needs vs. wants: a tough lesson to heed in a recent Minneapolis Star Tribune.
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phone: 651-644-7766 • mail@LaurieMattila.com • www.LaurieMattila.com Bless the time spent here… seeking listening dreaming.
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