The Little Book on Meaning: Why We Crave It, How We Create It Hardcover - 2009

by Laura Berman Fortgang

A wise and passionate meditationon what truly matters in life.

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

In The Little Book on Meaning, Fortgang reveals that whileour hunger for a "meaningful" life can be enormous, our desirefor meaning is usually satiated by small, bite-size morselsof 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 tenderlydrawn stories from her own life and the lives of those aroundher, she shows readers how they too can peek around corners todiscover the small elements of their lives that truly matter.Where are some of the easiest places to look? Fortgang takesreaders through five other "M words" beyond the godfather ofthem all-Meaning-that will serve as markers on the path:

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

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