Living a Committed Life: Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in a Purpose Larger Than Yourself
Lynne Twist
Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2022)

Welcome to the Anthropocene: the era when humans are determining the future of the planet

As Lynne Twist explains in the Introduction, living a committed life is not about doing good so that you can feel good about yourself or look good to others. It is about answering a call that creates a new context for your life. Living this way is guided by taking a stand and giving your word that you will live into that stand and have it shape your life. It requires keeping that commitment in the face of the challenges by creating a context of possibility and transformation. You learn to pay attention, to train yourself to navigate the upsets and challenges and to learn from and be nourished by them.”

The lessons she has learned from her own commitments is of substantial value. For example:

o “No matter whether you are a seasoned activist or newly inspired to find your passion, I urge you, above all, to dream big.”

o That said, “a big commitment is rarely, perhaps never, accomplished alone or quickly.”

o That is why “the strongest important part of [your] support ecosystem is teamwork.”

o “In my experience, burnout occurs not when I ‘m overworked or stressed, but rather when I am disconnected from Source, which to me means Spirit or the higher Self.”

o “Another great lesson from my Indigenous partners is the necessity of community — community with other people as well with all of life.”

o “In a world that is almost completely digitized, I’ve seen that the more digital we’ve become, the more ritual we need. Another great teaching I have absorbed from my Indigenous friends is the importance of ceremony and ritual, not only in our personal lives but also in our organizations and companies.”

o “The twin to appreciation is gratitude, celebrating what’s been given to you rather than what you’ve produced.”

o “Sometimes we are so caught up in what still needs to be done to accomplish our commitment that we neglect this very important aspect of self-support: owning progress. Keeping score is a really important part of the game!”

o “If your commitment is rooted in your stand for life and you can feel it in your body, you’ll have the strength and capacity to stay the course no matter what is happening or how long it takes. There are many visions I’ve had and projects I’ve worked on that have taken years to manifest.”

o “Here is one last, simple piece of advice — the key to workability: When you run into trouble, are overwhelmed, or don’t know what to do, ask for help! If wse look at Nature, we can see that everything is connected — no species stands alone.”

She thoroughly explains the WHAT as well as the WHY and especially the HOW. She really nails the Dos and Dont’s.

For many people, this could well be the most valuable business book they ever read in terms of accelerating their personal growth and professional development.