Home > History > European History > The Renaissance Soul

The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One

List Price: $19.95

Save 30.0%

You Pay: $13.96

Want this eBook?Our eBook Library Software is required to purchase and download eBooks. Download it here.

Tell a Friend

Overview

The old adage goes, "Follow your bliss." But what if you have many blisses to follow Do you enjoy following a diverse and evolving set of interests Do you get down on yourself for being a "jack of all trades and master of none" Do you feel trapped by others' expectations of you to stay in your current field forever Do you feel envy when someone says, "I've always known exactly what I wanted to do with my life" If you said yes to any of these questions, look no further. The Renaissance Soul lays out a winning strategy to maximize life and career success for the dynamic and change-loving people the author dubs "Renaissance Souls." Finally, a book that says you can have it all-and shows you how

Editorial Reviews

Some people just can't seem to settle down: they jump from career to career, from interest to interest; they chafe at being pinned down to one job or self-definition. This need for variety and love of finding new challenges, says career and life coach Lobenstine, can be a positive trait. Lobenstine's aim is to help such people find ways to pursue their varied interests without feeling overwhelmed. Her "focal point" strategy suggests picking a small number-usually four-of interests to pursue for now, interests that might be exchanged for others at a later time. And the author proposes various ways to integrate one's career into these focal points: if you're passionate about your work, it might be one focal point; for others it might be a way to pay the bills while they pursue other interests. One inexperienced older woman with a longstanding desire for a career in the art world found a clerical job at a museum, where she had access to curators and an opportunity to volunteer her graphic skills. Lobenstine has identified a situation rarely addressed by self-help books, and her advice is sensible, concrete and do-able. Agent, Betsy Amster. (On sale Jan. 10) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.

Author Information

Bio of Margaret Lobenstine

MARGARET LOBENSTINE founded Alternative Approaches, a career and life-coaching business, fifteen years ago and has worked with more than five thousand clients. A Renaissance Soul herself, she has created three successful-but entirely different-businesses. She lives with her husband in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

There are no customer reviews available at this time. To add your review, Register or Sign In to your account using our free eBook Library Software.

Additional Info

Imprint

Broadway

Filesize

2.94 MB

Number of Pages

272

eBook ISBN

9780767923965

Excerpt from: The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine

ONE

Renaissance Souls: Who You Are--and Who You're Not


When my sister told me about Renaissance Souls, I got so excited. But when I tried telling my partner this was why I don't finish all the projects I start, he just laughed and said I was lazy. And when I tried to tell my realtor friend Janet this was why I hadn't picked one field and stayed with it like she had, she said I didn't need a new name for myself, I just needed discipline. Are they right? How do I know I really am a Renaissance Soul?

--Tracy, twenty-five

Even if you've taken the quiz in the introduction and identified yourself as a Renaissance Soul, you probably still have some questions. Can I be a Renaissance Soul even though I'm not a genius like Leonardo da Vinci? What if I've successfully climbed one career ladder but still feel like a Renaissance Soul? You may also long to hear more about the characteristics you share with so many others, especially if you've experienced a lifetime of feeling different. Why do I have so many interests? you may wonder. Or even: Why do I still feel so alone? In this chapter, I'll take you on a journey deeper into the Renaissance Soul.

Amadeus Mozart . . . or Ben Franklin?


The Continuum of Interests

Amadeus Mozart
One Passionate Lifelong Interest

Benjamin Franklin
A Great Many Varied Interests


Picture a line representing the continuum of human interests. At one end, you have people like Mozart. To say that Mozart chose one interest and stuck with it is an understatement. He made his career choice at age three, when he begged for piano lessons and spent his playtime performing on make-believe musical instruments. And he continued to eat, breathe, and sleep music, playing for royal courts as a youngster and then composing his masterpieces practically up until the minute he died. Mozart would never have needed a self-help book or career workshop to pinpoint his interests and help him figure out what to do with his life. (He could have used one of my money-management workshops, but that's another story. . . .)