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The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One
by
How do I decide what to do with my life when there are so many things I want to do?
It is conventional wisdom that there is one true path in life for each of us. But what about those with a wide array of interests, a dynamic curiosity about the world, and an ever-renewing wellspring of passions? Margaret Lobenstine calls these people “Renaissance Souls,” and in this ground ...more
It is conventional wisdom that there is one true path in life for each of us. But what about those with a wide array of interests, a dynamic curiosity about the world, and an ever-renewing wellspring of passions? Margaret Lobenstine calls these people “Renaissance Souls,” and in this ground ...more
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Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
January 10th 2006
by Harmony
(first published January 1st 2006)
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Start your review of The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One
“If I were to envision the Renaissance approach to life, the traditional career metaphors of a highway to follow or a mountain to climb wouldn’t come to mind. The Renaissance approach to life looks more like a tree branching out in myriad directions, some branches overlapping, some intertwining, and some just finding their own merry ways to the sunlight.”
I’m usually not a fan of these types of books; from my experience they usually have a catchy title and seem to offer so much, yet I often end u ...more
I’m usually not a fan of these types of books; from my experience they usually have a catchy title and seem to offer so much, yet I often end u ...more
I randomly came across this book and decided to check it out, because I am one of those people who wants to do -everything- and I feel like I need to do it all! right! now! It really is written for people like me.
It was a quick read, but that might be because I skimmed over all the stories about people like Dan, who was fascinated by underwater basketweaving and African gorillas. Dan found a way to combine his passions by getting a job doing underwater basketweaving, and he could take time off i ...more
It was a quick read, but that might be because I skimmed over all the stories about people like Dan, who was fascinated by underwater basketweaving and African gorillas. Dan found a way to combine his passions by getting a job doing underwater basketweaving, and he could take time off i ...more
Anyone who has three books going at the same time, who hates the thought of constraining him- or herself to just one "thing," or who gets swallowed up for hours in a bookstore will find themselves in this book.
Lobenstine does an excellent job of describing the "renaissance" personality and helping people who fall in this category to accept and embrace their "diagnosis." She offers concrete ways of working with -- instead of against -- our personality traits.
I love feeling like I'm not alone, a ...more
Lobenstine does an excellent job of describing the "renaissance" personality and helping people who fall in this category to accept and embrace their "diagnosis." She offers concrete ways of working with -- instead of against -- our personality traits.
I love feeling like I'm not alone, a ...more
When I saw this book at the library, I had to snap it up right away. Lobenstine says that in essence, there are two kinds of people: Mozarts, who find one thing early on that they love and pursue for their whole lives, and Ben Franklins, who love and succeed at many different things in a wide variety of fields. Being a Franklin is no better or worse than being a Mozart, but it requires a different way of looking at how you spend your time and plan your life. Our society can be more supportive of
...more
Plenty of good stuff to think about in this book. For me, the biggest takeaways were:
- the affirmation that I'm not an ADD-ridden weirdo for wanting to career-hop or for imagining about 50 other paths I could be taking at any given point;
- the "sampler" method whereby you pick three or four interests to focus on for the time being and then arrange your time so you can move forward on them (knowing that you can always pick up other sets of interests later);
- the various quizzes that help identi ...more
- the affirmation that I'm not an ADD-ridden weirdo for wanting to career-hop or for imagining about 50 other paths I could be taking at any given point;
- the "sampler" method whereby you pick three or four interests to focus on for the time being and then arrange your time so you can move forward on them (knowing that you can always pick up other sets of interests later);
- the various quizzes that help identi ...more
Nov 25, 2017
Amy
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Basically Everyone
Recommended to Amy by:
Brittany Barden
4.5 Stars
I won this book in a StudentHero drawing (check them out!!! ) and I am so glad I did. I do not think I would have picked it up otherwise. While, let's be real, this book sounds like just another self-help, it actually cuts through a lot of the usual cliche-fluff to present a practical, affirming message about identity and life.
I found this book very affirming, though not mind-blowing. In fact, it took me a while to get through the first half because I kept thinking, 'I'm a Renaissance ...more
I won this book in a StudentHero drawing (check them out!!! ) and I am so glad I did. I do not think I would have picked it up otherwise. While, let's be real, this book sounds like just another self-help, it actually cuts through a lot of the usual cliche-fluff to present a practical, affirming message about identity and life.
I found this book very affirming, though not mind-blowing. In fact, it took me a while to get through the first half because I kept thinking, 'I'm a Renaissance ...more
I enjoyed rediscovering this book. A friend suggested it years ago when I was having a bit of a professional identity crisis. I bought it right away, but I didn't get very far for some reason. I held on to it the past six years, never giving it a second thought. As of late, I've found myself at a professional crossroads (again) and without intending to, I stumbled across this book on my shelf. I flipped to the introduction and recognized myself in the first few lines:
Do you feel a pang of envy ...more
Do you feel a pang of envy ...more
Full post about this and Quiet by Susan Cain: http://esquetee.wordpress.com/2012/04...
About half of the book was excellent, full of extremely helpful exercises. The other half was sometimes silly, sometimes boring, sometimes patronizing. So I balance that out to 4 stars, since I did get so much out of the 5-stars half.
Of the twelve chapters, the five I found most helpful were:
Ch. 3 - Values
Ch. 4 - Focal Points
Ch. 7 - Resources
Ch. 9 - Taking Action
Ch. 10 - Time Management
And if that's still tl; ...more
About half of the book was excellent, full of extremely helpful exercises. The other half was sometimes silly, sometimes boring, sometimes patronizing. So I balance that out to 4 stars, since I did get so much out of the 5-stars half.
Of the twelve chapters, the five I found most helpful were:
Ch. 3 - Values
Ch. 4 - Focal Points
Ch. 7 - Resources
Ch. 9 - Taking Action
Ch. 10 - Time Management
And if that's still tl; ...more
In general, I make fun of self-help books. Most of them seem like the same old stuff put through the sausage grinder with a new cover on it. This book is different. Why? Because it was written for me. This book has a great balance of coaching you to accept and embrace a nature that can't settle on "just one thing" but doesn't make it a license to be a flake or non-committal. Commit to 4-5 Focus Areas of things you love and really develop them... until you get bored. Then pick another four or fiv
...more
Feb 06, 2009
Kari
is currently reading it
I am not alone. And I don't have ADD!
...more
I could relate with this book. Our world today demands or at least strongly encourage specialization. Ever happened across an educated idiot?
Not to say that there are not good reason for specialization and focusing on one sub-issue of a sub-issue. However this knowledge comes at a cost, we have lost the ability to make jumps or break throughs because we no longer have a big picture view.
A broader base of knowledge also makes for healthier people, ever been stuck next to an expert at a party? I ...more
Not to say that there are not good reason for specialization and focusing on one sub-issue of a sub-issue. However this knowledge comes at a cost, we have lost the ability to make jumps or break throughs because we no longer have a big picture view.
A broader base of knowledge also makes for healthier people, ever been stuck next to an expert at a party? I ...more
The language of this book was fairly life-coach-y, but it made some good points. I'm giving it four stars for the sole reason that it's given me great ideas on how to organize my time without feeling chained to a schedule. I have always, always hated fixed schedules, because I never know when I'll feel like getting something done. This book has helped a lot with that, and I plan to put the scheduling ideas into practice. It's also given me some ideas on how to actually get some stuff done that I
...more
This is the most life affirming book I have ever read. It helped me understand and accept myself.
But of course, because I have ADHD, I haven't quite finished it yet... ...more
But of course, because I have ADHD, I haven't quite finished it yet... ...more
Much workplace advice is based on becoming an “expert” in one’s field. But some of us don’t have the kind of single-minded devotion required to dedicate oneself to a single field for a lifetime. For years, I worried that my career was hampered by the odd personality bent that led me to pursue diverse topics of study, sometimes for years on end, only to drop them later for something else. I made a niche for myself as a factotum, but I occasionally regretted not having one area of expertise.
Then I ...more
Then I ...more
Do you have a zillion passions you can't seem to narrow down to just one or two? Do other people criticize you for having a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none ethic? Would a resume you create list seemingly incongruent or disparate jobs? If so, you might be a Renaissance Soul, who gets bitten by the lure of new challenges, carries out a theme for an activity, and moves on when you're no longer challenged by what initially interested you.
The good news is: The Renaissance Soul guides each of us to ...more
The good news is: The Renaissance Soul guides each of us to ...more
This is a book that is definitely geared toward those in the market for answers. While the author provides good information and some of the exercises were helpful, I felt the anecdotes became tedious as did her spectrum markers of Mozart and Ben Franklin. A lot of her work is an adaptation of Getting Things Done (GTD) principles (which are themselves consolidations of other work). For example, what Lobenstine calls "intention markers," GTDers will know as "next actions." The "Focal Points Worksh
...more
هذا الكتاب هو أحد الكتب القلة التي أتخذها كرفيق درب وسفر دومًا فقراءة واحدة لا تكفي لهذا الكتاب الذي وصف الداء والدواء لمشكلة كانت تراودني من الصغر ألا وهي مشكلة الاهتمامات المتعددة وأول مايعلمك الكتاب هو أن تكف عن وصفها بالمشكلة بل تصفها بالميزة فالاهتمامات المتعددة كانت صفة لكثير من العظماء في التاريخ القديم والمعاصر الذين كانوا يبدعوا في كل بحور العلم ونرى في تاريخنا الإسلامي لقب العالم الموسوعي والتي كانت صفة أغلب علماء المسلمين حينها فلا تراهم يرضون بالفقه فقط ولا الحديث بل كانوا في الحديث
...more
This book made me feel very calm, relaxed and happy with my life. I'm 21 at the moment and until now I've always struggled searching for who I am and knowing my true self. I feel like the author knows me since I was born. I can easily relate to 99% of the things written in the book. I would recommend it to anyone who finds a lot of things interesting and wants to know about everything. For a very short period of time I also found other people around me who feel the same way as I do. It really op
...more
I loved how this book put a positive name to what I am. While there was plenty in this book that didn't apply to me, my major takeaway is encouragement to follow my passions in the right time. I liked the identification of four "focal points" which can be rotated out when they've come to their natural conclusion. It gives freedom, yet structure.
...more
This book is going to be a tool for me for years to come. Much like the emotions I have experienced reading Quiet, The Secret Lives of Introverts, and The Crossroads of Should and Must, reading this reminded me that I am exactly who God made me to be, and that other people might not understand my frequent job/career changes, shifting and broad/varied interests, but these things don't mean I am crazy or lazy or in possession of a flawed character. As the author points out, the way the tools she o
...more
People who aren’t fully committed to the values that their activities represent sputter through life, pulled in one direction by their commitments and in another by their spirits.
When many different interests appeal to you, it can be frightening to commit too deeply to any particular one; the feeling that you’re closing the door on all the others is too distasteful. Lobenstine insists, I think correctly, that there really is time in life to pursue a multitude of varied passions; you just nee ...more
It was interesting and then it became so overwhelming. This book isn't really meant to be read all in one shot, and while it mentions to put the book down once I think it could use that reminder after every chapter. For a book that is trying to understand and motivate Renaissance Souls, that part really bothered me. BUT, I did like a lot of the ideas on how to figure out what to narrow in on when you keep thinking up new ideas, how to do them when you also have 50 other things happening at once,
...more
Wow, this book really really resonated with me. I think the thing i liked best is just the whole owning the multiple interests thing. I think somewhere subconsciously i feel bad that i have a hard time with follow through after my initial enthusiasm for whatever next shiny thing i get into to, but this book shows me a way to embrace all the ways i can go ahead with my interests without being bogged down. I thought the exercises were Interesting too, particularly the reverse flowchart idea, I'm d
...more
If you’ve ever felt you couldn’t choose simply one thing and that doing so would be to miss out, then this is a book you’ll probably like. I definitely felt seen and it gave me some insight and showed me ways I can happily pursue and my various passions and not be stuck doing something I don’t love or sacrificing all for one. It’s a very thoughtful book and seeks to support anyone looking for advice.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Of course (of course!) there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a specialist or having only one area of interest to dedicate one's life to IF, that is your choice, ambition and makes you happy. In fact, from school to the workplace such 'a cradle-to-grave, climb-that-one-career-ladder' approach to life is what our modern societies expect of us all. Have ONE goal, get yourself qualified in ONE field, settle down for ONE particular job and, let life pass-by. Forever.
Terrific.
Now, of course ther ...more
Terrific.
Now, of course ther ...more
Being at an awkward age when it comes to careers, my early 50s, I have been reading many “second career” books that suggest ways to change up your career for your remaining working, or volunteering, years. They have all been interesting, but similar. I figured this would be the same, but this is entirely different. This isn’t aimed at a careerist of a certain age. This is aimed at people who have too many interests to want to settle into just one career and just one hobby for their entire lives.
...more
Lobenstine is the high school guidance counselor or college advisor you wish you’d had Based on the notion that people like DiVinci and Ben Franklin were more than just “one thing”, she questions why people who gravitate towards multiple hobbies and disparate subjects have to choose a singular, pre-ordained career path and disregard the others. Maybe you’re stuck and unhappy because you’re trying to fit a cultural mold that’s just not you? Bored easily? Throw yourself into a subject only to mast
...more
Note: this is more a personal reaction than a review, so take it with a grain of salt if you're trying to decide whether to read this book or not.
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I think I was more in a space for this the first time I read it. This time, on the re-read, I found myself feeling impatient with it. Basically, I like some of the broader strategies, but all the little exercises - which always seem to have Capitalized Names in books like this - began to irritate me.
It also struck me again that what works for advi ...more
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I think I was more in a space for this the first time I read it. This time, on the re-read, I found myself feeling impatient with it. Basically, I like some of the broader strategies, but all the little exercises - which always seem to have Capitalized Names in books like this - began to irritate me.
It also struck me again that what works for advi ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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“lot of agility, adaptability, a natural propensity toward curiosity, an insatiable appetite for that and this and this and that!”
—
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“Yet sometimes Renaissance Souls don’t feel so lucky. Despite a long and proud history of Renaissance Souls who’ve negotiated treaties, invented revolutionary machines, written great novels, and led victorious armies, our culture often insists that we are defective.”
—
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