The Little Book on Meaning: Why We Crave It, How We Create It by Laura Berman Fortgang

From the Publisher

A wise and passionate meditation on what truly matters in life.

As a prominent self-help author and a pioneer in the field of life coaching, Laura Berman Fortgang has spent decades helping people figure out what they want to do with their lives. And so it was a bit of a surprise when a theme she heard repeatedly from her clients emerged in her own thinking and would not be dismissed: Her work didn't feel as "meaningful" to her as it once had. It was one of those big realizations one has from time to time. The funny thing was, though, that it turned out the "solution(s)" to her problem were actually quite small. . . .

In The Little Book on Meaning, Fortgang reveals that while our hunger for a "meaningful" life can be enormous, our desire for meaning is usually satiated by small, bite-size morsels of meaning-the little, almost incidental events or "achievements" that comprise the fabric of our lives. According to Fortgang, meaning is where you look for it and through tenderly drawn stories from her own life and the lives of those around her, she shows readers how they too can peek around corners to discover the small elements of their lives that truly matter. Where are some of the easiest places to look? Fortgang takes readers through five other "M words" beyond the godfather of them all-Meaning-that will serve as markers on the path:

* Mystery: Many of us are so busy searching for answers that we fail to consider the questions.
* Minister: Caring for others can be the best thing we can do for ourselves.
* Magnificence: If we will just open our eyes-and truly look-beauty and purpose are everywhere!
* Mind: Tangled up in ourthoughts, we lose the experience of the moment.
* Mystic: Learning to see the world through the eyes of a mystic, suddenly everything holds meaning.

The Little Book on Meaning is an invaluable guide and companion for anyone seeking greater meaning and purpose in their life.

Publishers Weekly

An aspiring actress turned interfaith minister and life coach, Fortgang (Living Your Best Life) knows what it is to struggle to find meaning in life. The yearning, she says, "can swallow you whole." Posing such questions as "What makes a meaningful relationship with another person?" and "What constitutes meaningful work?" her lovely guide shows that meaning has five components: "Mystery" probes life's puzzles; "Minister" describes transactions between human beings ("to tend to another holding the space for their divinity and innocence to shine through"); "Magnificence" ("to see the divine, the good, the right... in every person"); "Mind" covers meditation ("What awaits us in the silence is ourselves"); and "Mystic" concludes that a New Spirituality is emerging: "The modern mystic is integrated-the worldly self and the spiritual self working as one. The modern mystic is you." Throughout, she writes honestly about exiting the maze of her own despair and depression as she demonstrates ways to embrace life more fully. Fortgang's writing is moving in its simplicity and sincerity, and like her ministry, her message crosses religious borders; even nonbelievers will find basic truths. (May)

Deborah Bigelow - Library Journal

Life coach/interfaith minister Fortgang believes people can find meaning if they look for it in small, incidental events. After laying out five elements of meaning (Mystery, Minister, Magnificence, Mind, and Mystic), she organizes her message accordingly. Her personal story, interwoven with poetry, yoga meditations, and spiritual teachings, will inspire an appreciation for life in its many textures. Readers looking for something that goes beyond self-help's usual "love yourself" tenet will appreciate this heartfelt book.

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