Work On Purpose by Lara Galinsky

by Lara Galinsky

"I want a meaningful career not just a job. But how do I get there?"When passion drives your choices and your talents shine, opportunities abound. But you can't get there if you don't know where or how to start.

This book shows you how.

Since 1987, Echoing Green has provided over thirty million dollars in seed funding to the world's top young social entrepreneurs who figured out the where and the how. But their paths weren't straight or always clear. How did they do it? Meet five of these changemakers and see for yourself as they dig deep and find their way.

Career choice is a destination, not a decision, and having the right tools to navigate the ride is essential. The stories in this book will help you listen to your heart, use your head, and unleash your hustle. Meanwhile, thought-provoking questions will prompt you to discover what moves you most what gets you out of bed in the morning and guide you as you take inventory of your beliefs, acquired skills, and innate gifts so you can lock onto your inspiration. PLUS, more than 150 career resources and programs targeted toward helping you move your vision forward in real time that will put your career on the fast track.

With a foreword by LIVESTRONG's Lance Armstrong and Doug Ulman and an afterword by Harlem Children's Zone's Geoffrey Canada,Work on Purposeis your source for inspiration and practical guidance around creating a career that will change your life and the world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Education, Self Help

Paperback

First published April 17, 2011

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Work on Purpose: How to find your calling (WP)
Similarly to Be Bold, this book is pretty introductory, short, and focuses on qualitative stories. The main theme is HEAD + HEART = HUSTLE.
1. Understand your history and your passion
2. Recognize and accept a wandering path or wrong turn
3. Sync your head and your heart
4. Find your "zone" for social impact
5. Keep reflecting and reframing

[Andre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Work on Purpose - the new book from Echoing Green. The organization focuses on investing into rising social entrepreneurs and the work they are doing to bring about postive impact in the world. Let me warn you - this is no ordinary book. This is a collection of pressureized energy that explodes in your mind with every page turned. for the past few years I have been marinating alot in the social entrepreneurship and social impact worlds. I am continuously inspired and motivated by the people who decides to consciously step out and do something with their passions. It almost seems like the folks at Echoing Green knew that 2011 would be the year that i finally began acting on my ideas when they published this fantastic book!

[Anandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading the stories of others who have also stumbled along the way to finding their path in making a difference and seeing their dreams come true. I love Echoing Green and their passion for social enterprise! This should be required reading for all high school students and parents.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend Masha recommended this book to help me through the existential crisis brought on by Julian Barnes' amazing "The Sense of an Ending," which stars an older man who looks back on his life and realizes he lived to be just good enough, nothing spectacular nor hugely disappointing, but bland and uninspired. He's now retired, divorced, and his daughter doesn't have much to say to him. The first half is him as a young, privileged pompous kid who could have done almost anything if he'd had the drive. The topper was that he's an arts administrator, the same career I'm pursuing. His life represents every 26 year old's worse nightmare for their future. (this, btw, is not the point of the story, but I just couldn't shake it off)

Well, if that character was the bad example, then the people in this book are the good. Work on Purpose centers around 5 idealistic people who found success and fulfillment in niche, do-gooder fields after taking a while to find their paths. Galinsky asserts that career happiness comes when a person matches their "heart" or passion to their "head" or inherent skills and abilities. Through these stories, she reminds us that it's ok to lose your way for a while, but you're never too old to one day find the right place for you. She recommends that you look for your own "heart" in your past by finding out what has mattered to you over time and in childhood.

I was impressed with this book because though it is essentially a life-advice, career counseling manifesto for young audiences trying to figure out what the hell to do with their lives, it doesn't seem preachy or condescending, the way I always imagine self-help books to sound. However, I've never read one, so I don't really know what I'm talking about when it comes to the genre. This is highly recommended to anyone looking for their next step.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll keep this around the office. The stories were inspiring and I like the construction of the book. Nothing mind0blowing but they are good examples of the value of having meaning in your work. I absolutely love the title of the book as it can be read in a number of different ways and I found myself continuously muttering it in my head with different emphases.

[Nakeita · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very enlightening and refreshing book. I found it rather thought provoking and I like that the format was different from the usual self-help book. This book posed questions that caused me to be introspective on a very deep level.

[Luna Moth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real life stories were great and are excellent food for thought for my own career development.

[Joaquin Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart + Head = Hustle. Great book in a time of my life where I was at a crossroad.