How to Find Your Mission in Life

by Richard Nelson Bolles

Now in Paperback! In this intimate treasury of wit and wisdom, Richard Bolles, author of the job-hunting WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE?, explores the spiritual aspects of finding one’s place in the work world. For anyone who has ever wondered how to make the most of their unique natural gifts, or how to find a vocation that is both socially responsible and personally fulfilling, this enlightening and empowering little volume provides immeasurable guidance. Originally appearing as an appendix in PARACHUTE, this book has led countless people through life’s most difficult passages and is sure to inspire anyone who is either new to the job market or reconsidering their place in it. A guide to exploring the spiritual aspects of finding one’s mission in the workplace. Previous editions have sold 85,000 copies.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Christian, Spirituality, Christianity

67 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1991

About the author

Dick Bolles, more formally known as Richard Nelson Bolles, was a former Episcopal clergyman, a member of high-IQ society Mensa, and the author of the best-selling job-hunting book, What Color is Your Parachute? The book remained on The New York Times best-seller list for more than a decade and has sold over 10 million copies.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I requested the very well-respected What Color Is Your Parachute? from the library, and they mistakenly sent me this (fortunately slim) volume of insulting nonsense instead. I decided to give it a quick glance, and all I can say is that this book will be useless to you if you are an agnostic or atheist. Bolles pays lip service to the notion that secular readers can read his book and benefit from it. But since the word "God" appears multiple times on every page, it is hard to escape that conclusion that Bolles believes the platitude that life has no mission or purpose without God. Sheer empirical data should argue against this, for there are surely atheists and agnostics who live good, meaningful, purposeful lives, and do so with the dignity of being fully responsible for one's own choices.

For those of us who were just looking for a little help determining what the next phase of our lives might look like, the thinly veiled evangelism is grating. If I went to the doctor complaining of migraines, I would not expect to be told to pray, and it seems unprofessional to me that a career counselor would take on religion as his cause.

If you are seeking spirituality, there are many better sources. And if you are seeking career counseling, you will find much better information elsewhere. In either case, this book is a total waste of time.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am rewriting my review of this book because I did not give Bolles and his book the credit they deserve in my life.

This short little book changed my life when I first read it twenty years ago. Richard Nelson Bolles wrote a very popular book, What Color Is Your Parachute, which I knew well since our library bought copies every year. I had not needed to use that book because I had been fortunate in my job hunting. However, I had noticed the section in the Parachute book, "Finding your mission in life". So when this essay was published separately, I purchased it for the public library.

Bolles wrote exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to know why I was on this earth - what bigger purpose I was working for. The three missions that are defined here made sense to me and I reread the book on a regular basis - for awhile.

Fast forward, twenty years. I still that I try to stand before God, love Her and see Her hand in the world. Also I still feel called to my job at a public library, but it appears that I have forgotten the second mission that Bolles talks about. The second mission is to do what you can to make this world a better place.

I have been so caught up in the drama and frustration of my life that I have not been choosing the path that brings more joy, love, kindness, etc. into the world. Why I had stopped rereading this book is a mystery to me, but I did. I have been posting my reading here for more than four years and I had not mentioned this book. I feel foolish. I had the ability to rethink my life and I just didn't bother.

I recommend this book to anyone looking to make her life the most fulfilling it can be. I suspect this is a popular gift for recent graduates. They will appreciate it when they take the time to read it. However, even those of us who are many years past our graduation day will find it useful.

Now I just have to make sure I don't wait more than four years before I read Bolles ideas again.

[Dallas Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This portion of the "What Color is Your Parachute" book is filled with golden nuggets, especially for a person of faith. Bolles helps every individual find their unique purposes in life while at the same time reminding us of the missions we all have as fellow citizens of this earth. I hope to read it again soon.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one setting and was about to dismiss it as "eh". But a few days later I picked it up again and had my journal next to me and ended up taking a lot of notes. There is quite some wisdom here and if the reader is not religious, it may take a bit of time to find it.

[Bethany · Rating 1 out of 5]

He should have left religion out of it and just called it “values.” I deeply disagree that mission automatically leads to a God conclusion. This is very closed mind thinking and bothers me on a profound level.

So my rewritten “secular” version of this nonsense:
Step 1: love consciously in the world and appreciate the energy and beauty around you. Tap into that energy, make it high frequency.
Step 2: make the world a better place daily.
Accomplishing these, you will then be worthy of
Step 3:
A- you have a unique talent to offer the world and you should use it
B- you are drawn to certain places or situations to exercise that talent
C- towards the purpose of making the world a better place

What talent do you have to offer? Look to the moments where you lose track of time and listen to what tugs on your heart

Aaaaaaannnnndddd- here’s my sales pitch- looks to my parachute program and career counseling services

What a joke.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is pleasantly deep and thought-provoking. I was surprised to see that 1) it was written by the same author as the "What Color is Your Parachute?" career advice book and 2) he is a committed Christian. He chose to answer the question of "mission" in a book separate from the secular, career-counselor perspective of the other book because he believes that he cannot separate his faith from an exploration of calling.

What was particularly encouraging to me is that he feels we have 3 aspects to our mission - with "career" being only 1 of 3 (the others being to live in relationship to God and to do good towards the earth and each other). So I will work on my other 2 missions while awaiting clarity on mission #3.

[BRK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, Concise, Applicable!

Bolles clearly gets right to the point of what our mission in life is both corporately and personally. He is concise without speculating into esoteric babble and exaggerating self deceptive individualism that too many times accompany this field of personal mission books. This material gives us the categories to fill in in writing as we discover, develop, and deploy our corporate mission for God’s glory so others are blessed. Living out this books ideas will gives purpose and power while our eternal joy as Christians radiates today.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful and quick read that helps orient oneself quickly, and simply, towards a life oriented towards God,
Other, and then self. A simple book that, I suspect, will be wonderful to revisit each year, because I suspect its information will continuously over time and with experience

[Jennifer Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is highly religious. The back cover does mention "spiritual aspects of finding one's place in the world" but I didn't realize the entire book would be based around religion and "god's plan".

[Becky Giovagnoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple. Direct. A tiny little book packed with truth.

[Jennifer Tse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really short read from Richard Nelson Bolles, who is a Christian author & also wrote the other job-hunting book "What Color Is Your Parachute?" I really like how he uses eating as a metaphor to finding your mission (mainly your job) in life. The 3 stages in eating are drinking milk from your mom or a bottle, eating strained baby foods, and finally chewing grown-ups food. He didn't say this, but I guess finding a job occurs in these 3 stages: 1) getting internship(s) 2) gaining experience & networking 3) interview & get that great job! Finding your mission occur in 3 stages too... read the book to find out how! ;-)

Ultimately, our unique Mission don't need to be "achievements which all the world will see, (because) neither we nor those who watch our life will always know what we have achieved by our life and by our Mission. It may be that by the grace of God we helped bring about a profound change for the better in the lives of other souls around us, but it also may be that this takes place beyond our sight, or after we have gone on. And we may never know what we have accomplished, until we see Him face-to-face after this life is past." (P. 15)

Favorite Quotes:
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." (P. 56)

"If you approach your job-hunt as an opportunity to work on this issue as well as the issue of how you will keep body and soul together, then hopefully your job-hunt will end with your being able to say: "Life has deep meaning to me, now. I have discovered more than my ideal job, I have found my Mission, and the reason why I am here on Earth." (P. 62)

[Barry Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

this little book is also included at the back of “what color is your parachute” , is a 6o-some page single sitting reading that provides an overview of what bolles describes as the three levels of identifying and realizing what your life’s mission should be.

He is unapologetic about his christianity, yet open to share his feelings and findings with people of all faiths (or non-faiths), claiming that your life’s mission is inextricably connected to your view of god, etc., citing the synonyms of calling (english) and vocation (latin) that all relate to finding our best self. quoting statistics from gallup on religion and life, He also claims that we innately knew this earlier in life, have developed amnesia around these three themes that build on one another to identify and implement our best selves to the benefit of all.

here are the three steps -
1. to seek to stand hour by hour in the conscious presence of god, the one from whom your mission is derived (the missioner before the mission).

2. to do what you can, moment by moment, step by step, to make this world a better place, following the leading and guiding of god’s spirit within you and around you.

3. to exercise that talent which you particularly came to earth to use -- your greatest gift, which you most delight to use, in the places or settings which god has caused to appeal to you the most, and for those purposes which god most needs to have done in the world.

A delightful book to read and look at (includes numerous woodcarvings, as does parachute), can be a bit abstract at times but well worth the reading.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 5 stars because of the sincerity I can read in the lines, the style of writing, the beautiful sketches, and, yes, the organization of the book. I love how Bolles summarizes the theme with 3 key points; the theme is expressed compactly, in such a way that the reader can expand upon it. Other authors have used many more pages in describing how to find meaning in life. This is now the 5th time I've read this book.

Do not expect to be given pages of concrete daily actions one can perform to make life feel more fulfilling. You only get a few examples. You should also be warned that he takes a Christian perspective i.e. Mission is considered a lifelong task suggested by God (which you can refuse) and undertaken for the benefit of both you and humanity. He does, however, take into account that the reader may not be Christian, so Bolles often uses religious language that, I believe, will be acceptable to all.

It is a fast read. One hour should suffice.

He believes that finding your life's mission is done in 3 stages. It is the third stage that is the most unique to an individual, where we use our talents.

I really think you should read this book, which is why I won't tell you any more.

My summer project is to read other books of a similar theme, to see if I can make life more enjoyable: Flourish, When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough, The Road Less Traveled, and Flow.

[JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was most moved by the part about angel's laughing at the way we seek big meaning in life while cursing in traffic and being bothered by petty things. Beyond that, I wasn't overly impressed by this brief little tome authored by the man who brings us the well-known "What Color is Your Parachute?" But it did offer some thoughts worth pondering. Bolles takes a decidedly Christian perspective and does as good a job as anyone at being something in that while coming across as completely accepting of other beliefs. His point about this is that you can't be nothing. He describes our mission in life as coming in 3 parts (p.11): 1. "to seek to stand hour by hour in the conscious presence of God, the One from whom your Mission is derived," 2. "to do what you can, moment by moment, day by day, step by step, to make this world a better place, following the leading and guiding of God's Spirit within you and around you," and 3. "to exercise that Talent which you particularly came to Earth to use -- your greatest gift, which you most delight to use, in the place(s) or setting(s) which God has caused to appeal to you the most, and for those purposes which God most needs to have done in the world."

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for another book in the library and this one caught my eye. As long as you're open to reading things with a heavy religious tone, this is a very quick read with some deep insights about finding your path. If you're a strong Christian, this will resonate loudly with you. If you're Christian-phobic, you will probably put this down immediately. Beyond the religious dogma, the strongest message is the message of using faith, trust, and the desire to do service for others to find your mission. Having faith that you are experiencing everything you need to experience, trusting that all of these experiences are lessons that bring you closer to your path, and seeking for ways to be loving and of service to others. It is a very Christian based, but there are so many other religions in the world that have a similar practice of serving others and trusting in the larger forces of nature or the universe, that it can be interpreted for its insights as they relate to other dogmas.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though from a Christian perspective, I found myself, as the author suggested, translating the material into my own symbol system. I found the message familiar and reassuring, yet not strongly personal or practical. This makes sense, given that the author is speaking to a broad audience. Roughly, these are part of the "how":

1. Remember God
2. The details matter
3. Develop your gifts
4. You'll remember or awake to your mission when the time is right, if you're attentive and making the right choices in the above details
5. Keep moving forward

The metaphor of the seeing of our lives as being enshrouded in fog felt apt. We can't see very far ahead in time, so therefore the best we can do is stay focused on the here and now, paying attention to the choices that present themselves.

This is a short book, clearly written, one to return to perhaps by opening at random for some succinct wisdom.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several of the books in the Parachute library from Richard Bolles. This one is distinguished from the others, in that this is a self consciously Christian book in orientation. Bolles suggestions that finding a life mission is a religious notion and urges us to not compartmentalize religion when doing our job searches. He says a mission consists of three parts (or three missions). First to live conscious of God through all of life. Second to make the world a better place. Third to use your unique talents to serve in the place where your are most satisfied. When all three converge, you have the making of a life's mission.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this as a gift from the Indiana Network for Higher Education Ministries. It was a thoughtful gift, but I didn't find the book to be particularly illuminating. I don't think that it is something I would want to give to my students, or to use with groups, but that may just be rooted in my own interfaith bent. This book is very overtly religious, and I would argue that it has a strong conservative lean. In addition there just isn't much content. A solid "Eh" all around.

[KyneWynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read with some interesting points. A couple of quotes from the book I especially liked: "Religion or faith is the hard reclaiming of knowledge we once knew as a certainty." and "As the stone does not always know what ripples it has caused in the pond whose surface it impacts, so neither we nor those who watch our life will always know what we have achieved by our life and by our Mission."

Definitely plenty of food for thought in this short read.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the author of What Color is Your Parachute, this oh, so easy read primarily examines what everyone’s mission in life should be. It definitely looks at it from a Christian perspective, and atheist and agnostics may be put off by this. However, regardless of one’s religious viewpoint, or lack of one, the world could only benefit from each of us showing one another a little more kindness. Which, according to Mr. Bolles, should be our first, and I think, most important mission in life.

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think i would need to read his other books in order to understand this one a little more. It felt very abstract. He tried to give advice based on his own view but would then retract that (almost apologetically) because he didn't want to offend anyone. It felt more like an introduction to the subject and less like a guide.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated: A+

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to Find Your Mission in Life
Bolles, Richard N.
mom got this to try and inspire me

[Monika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite unimpressed. Too much emphasis on religion...

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

gives interesting new perspective at job-hunting

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best synopsis of how best to resolve the age old problem of determining one's purpose.

[Leslie Jem · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a spirituality than career advice, but still helpful...and definitely encouraging!

[Melissa]

He says at the top this is a religious-oriented book. There’s some pretty turns of phrase, but those without a Christian upbringing (and those with one...) may not be very interested in the way he’s put god in your job hunt.