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Let Your Life Speak

Listening for the Voice of Vocation

Audiobook
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0 of 1 copy available
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In this honest and compelling meditation, Parker Palmer reflects upon vocation, spirit, and the life journey with a depth of insight that will touch anyone who yearns for an authentic way of standing and serving in the world. Finding one's calling is not just about finding something we can do—it is about finding what we can't not do. "Let your life speak" is a time-honored Quaker admonition to live one's life as witness to the deepest truths one knows. But as Palmer explains, those words can also mean "listen to your life, and let it tell you what your truth is." Vocation, he writes, comes not from external demands but from listening to the "true self," a listening that will always call us into some form of service to others.

As Palmer's many readers know, his writing has always been grounded in his own life experience; here he speaks even more vulnerably of his own times of being lost in the dark—as well as moments of stumbling into the light—in his own quest for vocation. Though the details of his journey are singular, he draws from it that which is universal. The result is a moving and illuminating book for anyone who seeks not just a job but a calling and companionship along the way.

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      With poetic language and a strong performance by Stefan Rudnicki, this compact audio invites listeners to look for their truths in their individual souls, rather than in what their intellect, ego, or external circumstances demand of them. We hear the wisdom of our soul best, the author says, when we give it the space and safety it needs to reveal our true path or vocation, which he believes will always involve some kind of service to others. With Rudnicki's deep, resonant voice adding inspirational power to Dr. Palmer's message, the author can share his missteps and self-doubts without diminishing the authority and impact of his ideas. This is a beautifully rendered lesson for anyone whose current path doesn't feel quite right. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 27, 1999
      A gifted academic who formerly combined a college teaching career with community organizing, Palmer took a year's sabbatical to live at the "intentional" Quaker community of Pendle Hill in Pennsylvania. Instead of leaving at year's end, he became the community's dean of studies and remained there for 10 years. Palmer (The Courage to Teach) shares the lessons of his vocational and spiritual journey, discussing his own burnout and intense depression with exceptional candor and clarity. In essays that previously appeared in spiritual or educational journals and have been reworked to fit into this slim volume, he suggests that individuals are most authentic when they follow their natural talents and limitations, as his own story demonstrates. Since hearing one's "calling" requires introspection and self-knowledge (as suggested by the eponymous Quaker expression), Palmer encourages inner work such as journal-writing, meditation and prayer. Recognizing that his philosophy is at odds with popular, essentially American attitudes about self-actualization and following one's dreams, Palmer calls vocation "a gift, not a goal." He deftly illustrates his point with examples from the lives of people he admires, such as Rosa Parks, Annie Dillard and Vaclav Havel. A quiet but memorable addition to the inspirational field, this book has the quality of a finely worked homily. The writing displays a gentle wisdom and economy of style that leaves the reader curious for more insight into the author's Quaker philosophy.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:9-12

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