The Power of Meaning: #bookreview

I recently finished reading “The Power of Meaning” by Emily Esfahani Smith. Honestly, I was afraid that it was going to be boring.
Smith interviews several people to find out how their life became more meaningful or fulfilling. She also provides information about studies that question what does a life with meaning include.

Luckily, I was wrong. It was really interesting to read about how  people wound up having rewarding lives although they started out on another career path.

There were many stories that really resonated with me. One of my favorite stories was the interview with the founders of the Life is Good company.  At one time, they were selling t-shirts out of their vehicle. Now they have a successful business with a purpose – helping others and staying positive.

When I started to read the book, I thought that it would be more of a self-help book. It is but it isn’t. It doesn’t provide a definite guideline for how to fix your life. A meaningful life is different for everyone. My priorities are probably different than my neighbor. Most people need the same basic things, like shelter, food, etc. However, the things that motivate us aren’t always the same.

Lately, I have been really questioning my job choices. I need to have a job so that I can have basic necessities. However, I’m not motivated by producing a certain number of items per hour or shift. Sure, I get paid for it but it’s not what I’m really passionate about at all. So that lack of passion makes it difficult to drag myself to work. This book has been helpful in acknowledging that I really do need to find a career that I care about much more than I do at the moment.

I would recommend reading this book. It was interesting and well-written.

* I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. It doesn’t change my opinion of the book.

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