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The Three Ordinary Voices of God
GOD HASN'T STOPPED SPEAKING. WE'VE STOPPED LISTENING.
We yearn for God's direction. We want to hear his voice. We know his will is the path to the peace, joy, and happiness we hunger for. But how do we discover his will?
God has been speaking to humanity from the very beginning—and he has been speaking to you. . .
Learning to listen to the voice of God will change your life powerfully and wonderfully. The Three Ordinary Voices of God will help you discover how God is speaking to you today and how that will change all your tomorrows.
In this simple and powerful guide, Matthew Kelly demonstrates that God speaks to everyone—whether we are aware of it or not—through three ordinary OUR NEEDS, OUR TALENTS, and OUR DESIRES.
"When I listen to the voice of God and strive to carry out his will, I become focused, energized, and invigorated. When I turn my back on God or run from his will, I become distracted, depleted, and lethargic. All the energy and enthusiasm drain from my life."
What's next for you?
Do you have a decision to make? Are you trying to decide what to do with your life? Or maybe you are discerning what God is calling you to for the next season of your life?
This may just be the right book at the right time for you.
God yearns to speak to you.
Will you listen?
We yearn for God's direction. We want to hear his voice. We know his will is the path to the peace, joy, and happiness we hunger for. But how do we discover his will?
God has been speaking to humanity from the very beginning—and he has been speaking to you. . .
Learning to listen to the voice of God will change your life powerfully and wonderfully. The Three Ordinary Voices of God will help you discover how God is speaking to you today and how that will change all your tomorrows.
In this simple and powerful guide, Matthew Kelly demonstrates that God speaks to everyone—whether we are aware of it or not—through three ordinary OUR NEEDS, OUR TALENTS, and OUR DESIRES.
"When I listen to the voice of God and strive to carry out his will, I become focused, energized, and invigorated. When I turn my back on God or run from his will, I become distracted, depleted, and lethargic. All the energy and enthusiasm drain from my life."
What's next for you?
Do you have a decision to make? Are you trying to decide what to do with your life? Or maybe you are discerning what God is calling you to for the next season of your life?
This may just be the right book at the right time for you.
God yearns to speak to you.
Will you listen?
118 pages, Hardcover
Published August 15, 2024
237 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Kelly
193 books1,416 followersMatthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
August 9, 2024
This is Matthew at his best: succinct, practical and powerful. Everything in life is frequently overcomplicated with opinions, distractions and misdirection especially in our consumer driven 21st century America. Matthew has a gift to point towards the simple wisdom learned by our ancestors and is so natural we all recall it from our childhood. Such things as presence in the moment, joy, untimed and unstructured moments with another, etc.
If you've ever wanted to take simple steps towards a holy life, Matthew Kelley is a writer for you. This book is just one of his many that will give you practical and most importantly desirable steps to take. His books have been a gift from God throughout my adult life.
If you've ever wanted to take simple steps towards a holy life, Matthew Kelley is a writer for you. This book is just one of his many that will give you practical and most importantly desirable steps to take. His books have been a gift from God throughout my adult life.
December 30, 2024
I will admit that I was immediately on the fence about giving this book 5 stars simply because it felt very repetitive; however, as I continued to read, I realized that perhaps Kelly made this writing choice because we NEED the repetition.
When it comes to living out our faith, we constantly need to be reminded how to do so, and Kelly did just that.
May we always remember to reorient ourselves and keep our focus on God.
When it comes to living out our faith, we constantly need to be reminded how to do so, and Kelly did just that.
May we always remember to reorient ourselves and keep our focus on God.
January 17, 2025
Got this for free, and was underwhelmed by the writing style and attitude. His message was well intended, but I’m not sure if he struggles with writing or if he assumes his readers struggle with understanding and he has to water it down. I’m leaning towards the former, because some of the words he used were not really appropriate in definition to what he was trying to convey. He didn’t get the advice in life that using big words you don’t fully grasp does not make you sound more intelligent. He may have a chip on his shoulder about this, because in the book was this strange tangent about higher education: “ somewhere along the way, most people have been told that they are stupid or not smart enough or that their education is insufficient or they’ve been intellectually flogged by someone with all the right degrees from all the right places who is sickeningly arrogant and elitist and yet staggeringly insecure.” Umm what?! 😆
This was one of the most repetitive books I have read, and it felt disjointed and all over the place. It read like he just wrote out all his thoughts as they entered his mind, and included all the tangents and wormholes those thoughts sent him on with no clear organization of the information. He circles back to the same ideas over and over again.
Finally, the publisher is ‘dynamic Catholic’, but this book had overt non-denominational even evangelical themes of ‘the worldview is bad’ and must be wholly rejected. Catholicism is known for it’s open mindedness in exploring theology and philosophy and would not assert the human experience is that black & white.
This was one of the most repetitive books I have read, and it felt disjointed and all over the place. It read like he just wrote out all his thoughts as they entered his mind, and included all the tangents and wormholes those thoughts sent him on with no clear organization of the information. He circles back to the same ideas over and over again.
Finally, the publisher is ‘dynamic Catholic’, but this book had overt non-denominational even evangelical themes of ‘the worldview is bad’ and must be wholly rejected. Catholicism is known for it’s open mindedness in exploring theology and philosophy and would not assert the human experience is that black & white.
January 1, 2025
10 out of 5 stars, if possible. I am in tears while finishing it. But why finish it? My friend offered the challenge of reading 50 books in 2024…I had owned this particular book for several months… and this book would complete the challenge. Thank you for making me read this, Anne, and thank you for writing it, Matthew. You made my night one for the record books - an unforgettable NYE with my kids. 2025 will be a more thoughtful, faithful, knowing, YEAR!
January 19, 2025
Its fine, i don’t really like the stream of consciousness writing style. I will not be reading Kelly again.
Lots of good nuggets and one liners but it never gets as deep as it seems the author is imagining it is.
Meh.
Lots of good nuggets and one liners but it never gets as deep as it seems the author is imagining it is.
Meh.
February 12, 2025
This is a book all Catholics today need to read! I have read many volumes by Mathew Kelly over 36 times. I have also listened to a number of audio talks and attended 2 virtual conferences. I can state this is an excellent volume. The description of this volume states:
“GOD HASN'T STOPPED SPEAKING. WE'VE STOPPED LISTENING.
We yearn for God's direction. We want to hear his voice. We know his will is the path to the peace, joy, and happiness we hunger for. But how do we discover his will?
God has been speaking to humanity from the very beginning—and he has been speaking to you. . .
Learning to listen to the voice of God will change your life powerfully and wonderfully. The Three Ordinary Voices of God will help you discover how God is speaking to you today and how that will change all your tomorrows.
In this simple and powerful guide, Matthew Kelly demonstrates that God speaks to everyone—whether we are aware of it or not—through three ordinary voices: OUR NEEDS, OUR TALENTS, and OUR DESIRES.
"When I listen to the voice of God and strive to carry out his will, I become focused, energized, and invigorated. When I turn my back on God or run from his will, I become distracted, depleted, and lethargic. All the energy and enthusiasm drain from my life."
What's next for you?
Do you have a decision to make? Are you trying to decide what to do with your life? Or maybe you are discerning what God is calling you to for the next season of your life?
This may just be the right book at the right time for you.
God yearns to speak to you.”
The chapters Sectionsin this volume are:
Chapter One: Let Your Life Speak
It’s Possible to Mis-Live Your Life
Let Your Life Speak
God Speaks to Everyone
The Three Voices: A Simple Introduction
The Benefits of Listening to God’s Voice
Personal Clarity
Clarity Leads to Engagement
Will You Listen?
Chapter Two: The First Voice: Needs
Every Parent’s Dream
The First Voice: The Basics
The Four Aspects of the Human Person
The Happiness Paradox
Getting What You Want Doesn’t Make You Happy
God Loves Order
God Wants You to Serve Powerfully
Chapter Three: The Second Voice: Talent
The Two Paths
The Second Voice: The Basics
Everybody Is a Genius
Two Truths
Context Is a Beautiful Thing
Unique and Universal Talent
Chapter Four: The Third Voice: Desires
The Power of Desire
The Third Voice: The Basics
The Trivial Many vs. The Essential Few
From FOMO to JOMO
Desire and the Four Aspects
The Want Beyond the Want
Chapter Five: The Ultimate Desire
That Nagging Feeling
Your Heart’s Dominant Desire
Unanswered Questions
This Is How We Change Our Lives
The Cause of Our Pain
The Only Tragedy
The Unavoidable Appointment
Epilogue: Come To The Quiet
Fear the Right Things
All the Other Voices
Come to the Quiet
I highlighted numerous passages while reading this volume. Some of them are:
“I am petrified of mis-living my life. You can mis-live your life. Most people never consider it as a possibility, but it’s true. You can mis-live your life. Let it sink in. It is possible.”
“All it takes is the consistent application of mediocrity, laziness, procrastination, obsession with material possessions, and self-centeredness.”
“A well-lived life is built the same way a mis-lived life is built—one choice at a time. Every choice builds character or erodes character. Make your next choice one that belongs in a well-lived life. It’s amazing how one good choice can shift the momentum of your day. Do you need to make a shift?”
“Meet with the person you are capable of becoming for a few minutes each day. The more time you spend in these meetings the less you will fear death. Use your thoughts, words, choices, and actions to close the gap between who you are today and who you are capable of being. This is the path that leads to a deeply fulfilling life.”
“Let your life speak implies that your life might not speak. That isn’t the case. The truth is this: You don’t have a choice. Your life speaks whether you let it or not. Your actions speak and your inaction speaks. The only choice you have in this matter surrounds this question: What is your life saying to the world?”
“And that’s what we are going to learn to do: Listen to God speak to you each and every day of your life. And it will change everything. I know it may seem impossible, but I assure you, it isn’t. In fact, once you learn how to listen to God’s voice in the moments of your day, you will understand why you made the mistakes you made along the way, and you will wonder how you ever lived without his intimate guidance.”
“God speaks to every single person every single day using three ordinary voices: needs, talents, and desires. He speaks to us in the depths of our souls.”
“God is the ultimate Father who yearns to speak into the lives of his children. He will go to unfathomable lengths to communicate with us. Do you really think he’s not going to speak to you?”
“God the Father yearns deeply to communicate with you. He is the Father who wants good things for you more than you want them for yourself. Will you pause the insanity of your life for a few minutes each day and listen to him?”
“There is no such thing as an ordinary person and there is no such thing as an ordinary voice of God. When God speaks it is a gift of inestimable value.”
“This is where we find the three “ordinary” voices most active. These voices are: need, talent, and desire.”
“What is personal clarity? Personal clarity is a spiritual state of awareness that allows you to see clearly who you are, what you are here for, what matters most, and what doesn’t matter at all.”
“People with great personal clarity have taken time to answer five of life’s biggest questions. We all wrestle with these five questions throughout our lives. The great thinkers of every age have discussed and debated them, and now it is your turn. Who am I? What am I here for? Where am I going? What matters most? What matters least?”
“Who you become is infinitely more important than what you do, have, accomplish, or buy. What matters least? Anything that becomes an obstacle between you and God, you and loving others, or you and your God-given mission.”
“Making money to sustain ourselves and support our families is noble. It is one of the reasons we work. But it isn’t enough to make work fulfilling, not if you are making fourteen dollars an hour and not if you are making $400,000 a year. It may be hard to believe for the person making fourteen dollars an hour, but people who are lazy and have bad attitudes are still miserable when they are making $400,000 a year.”
“The primary purpose of work is that it helps you become a-better-version-of-yourself. Working hard, striving for excellence, paying attention to the details of your work, and serving other people joyfully transforms you into a better human being. The primary value of work is that it helps you develop character—and character is destiny.”
“Work is also a form of prayer. Each hour of work offered to God for a specific person or intention has infinite value and power.”
“The second practical benefit of listening to the voice of God is engagement.”
“But along the way, remember to watch out for these three things we discussed. When I am striving earnestly to listen to the voice of God, I get focused, energized, and invigorated. Focused. Energized. Invigorated.”
“It’s easy to question whether God speaks to us, but the preponderance of evidence suggests we should give our attention to another question. This more pertinent question, the question that confronts us daily is: Will you listen? And the question that follows next is: Will you carry out what God asks of you?”
“What should you be afraid of missing out on? The one path God imagined for you from the beginning of time. This is a righteous fear. It’s an enlightened fear that will keep you from wasting whatever is left of your one short life.”
“Relationships thrive under one condition: carefree timelessness. What is carefree timelessness? It is time together without an agenda.”
“Think of it in this way: We become the stories we listen to. It doesn’t matter if we get those stories from movies, music, television, newspapers, magazines, videogames, social media, politicians, friends, or books—the stories we listen to form our lives.”
“Our intellectual needs are never urgent, so it is easy to overlook them. When was the last time you said to yourself, “I urgently need to read a good book today”? It doesn’t happen. Why? For one, our intellectual needs are not primary needs. If we neglect them, we won’t die. But mental vitality leads to physical, emotional, and spiritual vitality. Everything in our lives begins as a thought.”
“To really stretch ourselves, we must delve into the wisdom writings. Selections could include a variety of philosophical texts, the writings of countless spiritual leaders past and present, and the Scriptures. It is in these writings that the intellect comes face-to-face with the most profound questions and truths about the world, creation, God, humanity, and our individual journeys.”
“Books change our lives. Begin your own collection of great books. Choose books that will help you to achieve your essential purpose and become the-best-version-of-yourself. Make daily reading one of the defining habits of your life.”
“Your spiritual needs are for stillness, silence, solitude, simplicity, Scriptures, and Sacraments.”
“It is also in silence and solitude that life’s preeminent challenge is proposed to us. Brother Silence and Sister Solitude unveil the person we are today with all our strengths and weaknesses, but they also remind us of the better person we know we can be.”
“We come now to the spiritual need of simplicity. Simplicity is one of the governing principles of the universe, yet with every passing century, humanity looks to greater complexity to solve its problems and improve its life.”
“The Sacraments are the center of the life of the Church. And while the Sacraments are surrounded by profound rituals, it’s important not to forget what they are at their core: an encounter with Jesus Christ.”
“The Sacraments are a profound source of unlimited grace, they pour incredible grace into our lives in a direct and powerful way. Embrace them with a new and radical urgency. Accept these divine gifts. Cherish them.”
“This is the great modern paradox: We know the things that make us happy; we just don’t do them.”
“We live in a culture that isn’t interested in needs. We live in a culture obsessed with wants. We neglect our needs because the culture boldly and confidently proclaims, “The meaning of life is to get what you want, and the more you get what you want the happier you’ll be.””
“God created you to be reasonably happy in this life and completely happy in the next life. But the culture tells you the path to happiness is getting what you want and that’s where most people’s lives depart from the path of reasonable happiness and contentment. When we prioritize our wants over what we need, we begin pursuing the wrong things.”
“Needs are primary, wants are secondary. Keep this essential truth in mind throughout your day as you make decisions, allow it to guide you, and usher the clarity and order God loves into every corner of your life.”
“The Catholic Church is the best in the world at putting things side by side, the best in the world at pointing out the true value of things, the best in the world at putting things in context. Who is the worst in the world at creating context? The media. To push their agendas and bolster their opinions, they willfully and negligently avoid putting things in context. You almost never see untampered with realities put side by side in the media. Why? Because the media doesn’t want to give you context. The more you understand the true value of things, the less likely you will be to waste your time consuming modern media. The media is not interested in the true value of things. They sold their souls for ratings, then advertising dollars, and now clicks.”
“Desire is powerful. It is one of the more powerful forces at work within the human person. It can be harnessed for good or left to run amok.”
“Our desires play a powerful part in shaping our lives. Desire the wrong things and that alone will ruin your life. The power of desire attached to the wrong thing is like a runaway train—and that runaway train can be your life.”
“God uses the three ordinary voices to speak to us every single day of our lives. There are no exceptions. There are no days when he doesn’t speak to you in these ways, and there is no one he doesn’t speak to.”
“The key to achieving this transition is letting go of FOMO and embracing JOMO. This is a topic I have written about before, but I feel compelled to revisit it here because it is critical to understanding the joy that comes from listening to God’s voice.”
“Our faith is simple and beautiful. And it is possible to live it out in new and exciting ways, here and now, in our times. Your personality and circumstances, your needs, talents, and desires, are all gifts to help you live the faith in a deeply personal way.”
“Holiness is simply the application of the values, principles, and spirit of the Gospel to the circumstances of our everyday lives, one moment at a time. It isn’t complicated. It is disarmingly simple.”
“A new kind of holiness is needed. One that confounds expectations. A new breed of saints. Brave men and women who wholeheartedly embrace the life and teachings of Jesus and live them out creatively.”
“Death comes to us all, sooner or later. We don’t know when, but we know for certain that it will come. And when it comes it will care nothing for your fame, wealth, education, achievements, possessions, connections, or power. When death approaches, the person you have become meets the person you could have been. This is a humbling encounter. Don’t wait for death to deliver this encounter. Go out to meet it each day. Spend time each day in the classroom of silence, in communion with God. Meet with the person you are capable of becoming for a few minutes each day in the depths of prayer.”
“Come to think of it, isn’t that a good litmus test for the people we should listen to? Who would you watch on television if you only tuned in to people who are striving to “live justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with God”? Which podcasts would you listen to? Which books would you read? And what movies and television shows would you watch?”
To be honest that is all the sections I highlighted my first time through this book. I tried cutting some out but felt they all should be in the review. I pray and hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. That you pick it up and give it a read. I guarantee it will be life changing.
This is one of those volumes that could be read over and over again and with each reading you will get something more out of it. It could easily become a Catholic Classic. The material is presented in clear, crisp language. It is easy to engage with. A high school student could read it and benefit from the reading and someone who is retired could read it and make improvements for the fourth quarter of their life.
This is an excellent read. Any Catholic would benefit from reading it. I challenge you to read it and see!
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!
“GOD HASN'T STOPPED SPEAKING. WE'VE STOPPED LISTENING.
We yearn for God's direction. We want to hear his voice. We know his will is the path to the peace, joy, and happiness we hunger for. But how do we discover his will?
God has been speaking to humanity from the very beginning—and he has been speaking to you. . .
Learning to listen to the voice of God will change your life powerfully and wonderfully. The Three Ordinary Voices of God will help you discover how God is speaking to you today and how that will change all your tomorrows.
In this simple and powerful guide, Matthew Kelly demonstrates that God speaks to everyone—whether we are aware of it or not—through three ordinary voices: OUR NEEDS, OUR TALENTS, and OUR DESIRES.
"When I listen to the voice of God and strive to carry out his will, I become focused, energized, and invigorated. When I turn my back on God or run from his will, I become distracted, depleted, and lethargic. All the energy and enthusiasm drain from my life."
What's next for you?
Do you have a decision to make? Are you trying to decide what to do with your life? Or maybe you are discerning what God is calling you to for the next season of your life?
This may just be the right book at the right time for you.
God yearns to speak to you.”
The chapters Sectionsin this volume are:
Chapter One: Let Your Life Speak
It’s Possible to Mis-Live Your Life
Let Your Life Speak
God Speaks to Everyone
The Three Voices: A Simple Introduction
The Benefits of Listening to God’s Voice
Personal Clarity
Clarity Leads to Engagement
Will You Listen?
Chapter Two: The First Voice: Needs
Every Parent’s Dream
The First Voice: The Basics
The Four Aspects of the Human Person
The Happiness Paradox
Getting What You Want Doesn’t Make You Happy
God Loves Order
God Wants You to Serve Powerfully
Chapter Three: The Second Voice: Talent
The Two Paths
The Second Voice: The Basics
Everybody Is a Genius
Two Truths
Context Is a Beautiful Thing
Unique and Universal Talent
Chapter Four: The Third Voice: Desires
The Power of Desire
The Third Voice: The Basics
The Trivial Many vs. The Essential Few
From FOMO to JOMO
Desire and the Four Aspects
The Want Beyond the Want
Chapter Five: The Ultimate Desire
That Nagging Feeling
Your Heart’s Dominant Desire
Unanswered Questions
This Is How We Change Our Lives
The Cause of Our Pain
The Only Tragedy
The Unavoidable Appointment
Epilogue: Come To The Quiet
Fear the Right Things
All the Other Voices
Come to the Quiet
I highlighted numerous passages while reading this volume. Some of them are:
“I am petrified of mis-living my life. You can mis-live your life. Most people never consider it as a possibility, but it’s true. You can mis-live your life. Let it sink in. It is possible.”
“All it takes is the consistent application of mediocrity, laziness, procrastination, obsession with material possessions, and self-centeredness.”
“A well-lived life is built the same way a mis-lived life is built—one choice at a time. Every choice builds character or erodes character. Make your next choice one that belongs in a well-lived life. It’s amazing how one good choice can shift the momentum of your day. Do you need to make a shift?”
“Meet with the person you are capable of becoming for a few minutes each day. The more time you spend in these meetings the less you will fear death. Use your thoughts, words, choices, and actions to close the gap between who you are today and who you are capable of being. This is the path that leads to a deeply fulfilling life.”
“Let your life speak implies that your life might not speak. That isn’t the case. The truth is this: You don’t have a choice. Your life speaks whether you let it or not. Your actions speak and your inaction speaks. The only choice you have in this matter surrounds this question: What is your life saying to the world?”
“And that’s what we are going to learn to do: Listen to God speak to you each and every day of your life. And it will change everything. I know it may seem impossible, but I assure you, it isn’t. In fact, once you learn how to listen to God’s voice in the moments of your day, you will understand why you made the mistakes you made along the way, and you will wonder how you ever lived without his intimate guidance.”
“God speaks to every single person every single day using three ordinary voices: needs, talents, and desires. He speaks to us in the depths of our souls.”
“God is the ultimate Father who yearns to speak into the lives of his children. He will go to unfathomable lengths to communicate with us. Do you really think he’s not going to speak to you?”
“God the Father yearns deeply to communicate with you. He is the Father who wants good things for you more than you want them for yourself. Will you pause the insanity of your life for a few minutes each day and listen to him?”
“There is no such thing as an ordinary person and there is no such thing as an ordinary voice of God. When God speaks it is a gift of inestimable value.”
“This is where we find the three “ordinary” voices most active. These voices are: need, talent, and desire.”
“What is personal clarity? Personal clarity is a spiritual state of awareness that allows you to see clearly who you are, what you are here for, what matters most, and what doesn’t matter at all.”
“People with great personal clarity have taken time to answer five of life’s biggest questions. We all wrestle with these five questions throughout our lives. The great thinkers of every age have discussed and debated them, and now it is your turn. Who am I? What am I here for? Where am I going? What matters most? What matters least?”
“Who you become is infinitely more important than what you do, have, accomplish, or buy. What matters least? Anything that becomes an obstacle between you and God, you and loving others, or you and your God-given mission.”
“Making money to sustain ourselves and support our families is noble. It is one of the reasons we work. But it isn’t enough to make work fulfilling, not if you are making fourteen dollars an hour and not if you are making $400,000 a year. It may be hard to believe for the person making fourteen dollars an hour, but people who are lazy and have bad attitudes are still miserable when they are making $400,000 a year.”
“The primary purpose of work is that it helps you become a-better-version-of-yourself. Working hard, striving for excellence, paying attention to the details of your work, and serving other people joyfully transforms you into a better human being. The primary value of work is that it helps you develop character—and character is destiny.”
“Work is also a form of prayer. Each hour of work offered to God for a specific person or intention has infinite value and power.”
“The second practical benefit of listening to the voice of God is engagement.”
“But along the way, remember to watch out for these three things we discussed. When I am striving earnestly to listen to the voice of God, I get focused, energized, and invigorated. Focused. Energized. Invigorated.”
“It’s easy to question whether God speaks to us, but the preponderance of evidence suggests we should give our attention to another question. This more pertinent question, the question that confronts us daily is: Will you listen? And the question that follows next is: Will you carry out what God asks of you?”
“What should you be afraid of missing out on? The one path God imagined for you from the beginning of time. This is a righteous fear. It’s an enlightened fear that will keep you from wasting whatever is left of your one short life.”
“Relationships thrive under one condition: carefree timelessness. What is carefree timelessness? It is time together without an agenda.”
“Think of it in this way: We become the stories we listen to. It doesn’t matter if we get those stories from movies, music, television, newspapers, magazines, videogames, social media, politicians, friends, or books—the stories we listen to form our lives.”
“Our intellectual needs are never urgent, so it is easy to overlook them. When was the last time you said to yourself, “I urgently need to read a good book today”? It doesn’t happen. Why? For one, our intellectual needs are not primary needs. If we neglect them, we won’t die. But mental vitality leads to physical, emotional, and spiritual vitality. Everything in our lives begins as a thought.”
“To really stretch ourselves, we must delve into the wisdom writings. Selections could include a variety of philosophical texts, the writings of countless spiritual leaders past and present, and the Scriptures. It is in these writings that the intellect comes face-to-face with the most profound questions and truths about the world, creation, God, humanity, and our individual journeys.”
“Books change our lives. Begin your own collection of great books. Choose books that will help you to achieve your essential purpose and become the-best-version-of-yourself. Make daily reading one of the defining habits of your life.”
“Your spiritual needs are for stillness, silence, solitude, simplicity, Scriptures, and Sacraments.”
“It is also in silence and solitude that life’s preeminent challenge is proposed to us. Brother Silence and Sister Solitude unveil the person we are today with all our strengths and weaknesses, but they also remind us of the better person we know we can be.”
“We come now to the spiritual need of simplicity. Simplicity is one of the governing principles of the universe, yet with every passing century, humanity looks to greater complexity to solve its problems and improve its life.”
“The Sacraments are the center of the life of the Church. And while the Sacraments are surrounded by profound rituals, it’s important not to forget what they are at their core: an encounter with Jesus Christ.”
“The Sacraments are a profound source of unlimited grace, they pour incredible grace into our lives in a direct and powerful way. Embrace them with a new and radical urgency. Accept these divine gifts. Cherish them.”
“This is the great modern paradox: We know the things that make us happy; we just don’t do them.”
“We live in a culture that isn’t interested in needs. We live in a culture obsessed with wants. We neglect our needs because the culture boldly and confidently proclaims, “The meaning of life is to get what you want, and the more you get what you want the happier you’ll be.””
“God created you to be reasonably happy in this life and completely happy in the next life. But the culture tells you the path to happiness is getting what you want and that’s where most people’s lives depart from the path of reasonable happiness and contentment. When we prioritize our wants over what we need, we begin pursuing the wrong things.”
“Needs are primary, wants are secondary. Keep this essential truth in mind throughout your day as you make decisions, allow it to guide you, and usher the clarity and order God loves into every corner of your life.”
“The Catholic Church is the best in the world at putting things side by side, the best in the world at pointing out the true value of things, the best in the world at putting things in context. Who is the worst in the world at creating context? The media. To push their agendas and bolster their opinions, they willfully and negligently avoid putting things in context. You almost never see untampered with realities put side by side in the media. Why? Because the media doesn’t want to give you context. The more you understand the true value of things, the less likely you will be to waste your time consuming modern media. The media is not interested in the true value of things. They sold their souls for ratings, then advertising dollars, and now clicks.”
“Desire is powerful. It is one of the more powerful forces at work within the human person. It can be harnessed for good or left to run amok.”
“Our desires play a powerful part in shaping our lives. Desire the wrong things and that alone will ruin your life. The power of desire attached to the wrong thing is like a runaway train—and that runaway train can be your life.”
“God uses the three ordinary voices to speak to us every single day of our lives. There are no exceptions. There are no days when he doesn’t speak to you in these ways, and there is no one he doesn’t speak to.”
“The key to achieving this transition is letting go of FOMO and embracing JOMO. This is a topic I have written about before, but I feel compelled to revisit it here because it is critical to understanding the joy that comes from listening to God’s voice.”
“Our faith is simple and beautiful. And it is possible to live it out in new and exciting ways, here and now, in our times. Your personality and circumstances, your needs, talents, and desires, are all gifts to help you live the faith in a deeply personal way.”
“Holiness is simply the application of the values, principles, and spirit of the Gospel to the circumstances of our everyday lives, one moment at a time. It isn’t complicated. It is disarmingly simple.”
“A new kind of holiness is needed. One that confounds expectations. A new breed of saints. Brave men and women who wholeheartedly embrace the life and teachings of Jesus and live them out creatively.”
“Death comes to us all, sooner or later. We don’t know when, but we know for certain that it will come. And when it comes it will care nothing for your fame, wealth, education, achievements, possessions, connections, or power. When death approaches, the person you have become meets the person you could have been. This is a humbling encounter. Don’t wait for death to deliver this encounter. Go out to meet it each day. Spend time each day in the classroom of silence, in communion with God. Meet with the person you are capable of becoming for a few minutes each day in the depths of prayer.”
“Come to think of it, isn’t that a good litmus test for the people we should listen to? Who would you watch on television if you only tuned in to people who are striving to “live justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with God”? Which podcasts would you listen to? Which books would you read? And what movies and television shows would you watch?”
To be honest that is all the sections I highlighted my first time through this book. I tried cutting some out but felt they all should be in the review. I pray and hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. That you pick it up and give it a read. I guarantee it will be life changing.
This is one of those volumes that could be read over and over again and with each reading you will get something more out of it. It could easily become a Catholic Classic. The material is presented in clear, crisp language. It is easy to engage with. A high school student could read it and benefit from the reading and someone who is retired could read it and make improvements for the fourth quarter of their life.
This is an excellent read. Any Catholic would benefit from reading it. I challenge you to read it and see!
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!
January 16, 2025
My local parish has been gifting parishioners a Matthew Kelly book at Christmastime for the last eight or more years. I like that they are a quick and easy read. He usually focuses on a particular religious topic like praying or being active in your church or prioritizing God in your day-to-day life. While some of his more recent efforts have been a bit repetitive or clunky, this was one was nicely done. How many times have you (or someone you know) hoped to see a sign from God? Have you ever considered God is actually communicating with you every day ...you just don't connect your talents, needs, and desires as ways in which God speaking to you. The same applies to your sense of emptiness and disappointment ...when you are trying to fill a need for meaning in your life with meaningless things. What if the sense that you are mis-living your life, when your gut is telling you to realign to your choices with what is good and healthy and kind, what if this is God speaking to you through your desires and needs. Lately, as I tackle bad habits, I find myself keenly aware I am doing what I don't want to do AS I AM DOING IT and asking God for help with curbing these behaviors in real time, instead of just saying I'll work on that later, or 'everyone struggles with this'. Listen to that voice in your head telling you to do better and be better. Listen to that voice in your head that says you know you need to stop doing what is wrong or unhealthy. Consider that reinvigorating your faith practices could help you lead a more fulfilled life of peace and connectedness with God.
July 29, 2025
This book was practically organized. I enjoyed the long chapters being split into 2-5 page sections (perfect for morning coffee/prayer time 🤗). The author explained concepts in a simple, straightforward fashion. Silence and solitude are NEEDS for our spiritual health, not wants.
July 24, 2025
Some of the messages throughout the book felt very repetitive.
September 2, 2025
Simple and deeply thought provoking. A beautiful easy read, with many hard questions to ponder.
June 9, 2025
Densely packed with Matthew Kelly knowledge. Slightly repetitive but for good reason.
For a book like this, the only proper review is my notes:
Will you listen?
It is possible to mis-live you life through mediocrity, laziness, procrastination, obsession with materials, and self-centeredness. You miss out on the life God wanted to give you. Every choice either builds character or erodes it.
Your Life speaks whether you want it to or not. In order for it to speak a profound message, it is first necessary to allow God to speak into it. God chose different ways to speak to different people. He is desperate to get hold of his sons and daughters in need.
God created us with needs. He endowed us with talents. He has placed desire within us.
Listening to voices other than god is exhausting, as our attention ping pongs back and forth leading to poor decisions and no clarity. Personal Clarity allows us to clearly see who we are and what matters most in our purpose.
Learning to say no to things that stand between God's plan for our life is how we become great decision makers.
It is impossible to be disengaged and happy. Life to the fullest is a highly engaged life.
Making money is necessary, but secondary. The primary purpose of work is to become a better-version-of-yourself. Work is also a form of prayer.
The fastest way to improve any relationship is by becoming a better listener. Learning to listen is an art that requires practice. Listening is a state of humility. Listening to God is an act of hopeful expectation, is an act of surrender, and requires an open heart for us to set aside our own agenda.
There is only one opinion that matters: God's. We should have FOMO but not in the way most people think. We should be afraid of missing out on the one thing that God wanted for us while we were too busy pursuing everything else. When we say yes to the stuff that we know isn't for us, we miss out on the stuff that God created just for us.
Open your heart to discovering your true needs and to hearing God speak to you through them.
Physical well-being is the foundation upon which we build our lives. We ought to treat our body as the temple of the holy spirit that it is.
Your feelings aren't good or bad, they are just messengers.
We have a great need for acceptance and a sense of belonging.
The friends we choose either raise or lower our standards.
Our greatest emotional need is for intimacy. Sex is not intimacy. Intimacy is the process of mutual self-revelation that inspires us to give ourselves completely to another person in the mystery we call love-- a complete and unrestrained sharing of self.
The entire human experience is a quest for harmony amid opposing forces.
Carefree timelessness is time together without an agenda. Relationships thrive with this.
We need a diet of the mind. The ideas we feed our mind today tend to form our lives tomorrow.
A narrower base of knowledge necessarily creates a narrower world view.
To really stretch ourselves, we must delve into the wisdom writings. Books change our lives.
If you choose the right diet of the mind, yoru life will be directed by ideas of excellence and greatness. If you allow the media and secular culture to select your intellectual diet, your life will be formed by distraction and mediocrity.
Your spiritual needs are for stillness, silence, solitude, and simplicity.
Learn to be quiet. Learn to be still. In this silence God always speaks.
"All of man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone" - Pascal
Simplicity is one of the governing rules of the universe.
God is in the business of transformation, not tweaking. The Bible leads us to God's transformational plan for our lives. The sacraments are God's systematic plan to provide for our spiritual needs.
We know the things that make us happy, we just don't do them. Happiness Paradox. Nobody can have all their needs met at one point in this life... this is reserved for God in heaven.
We get so easily distracted and mesmerized by shiny things. You were marvelously created so trivial things wouldn't satisfy you. The fading satisfaction of these things is proof that you were made for more. You simply can never get enough of what you don't need.
God created you to be reasonably happy in this life and completely happy in the next life.
Needs are primary and Wants are secondary.
God is always trying to lead us from chaos to order and from confusion to clarity.
There is a reason that flight attendants instruct you to put your oxygen mask on first if the plane's cabin loses pressure. There is no limit to the number of other people that you can serve if you are attending to your own legitimate needs first.
There are two paths we get to choose. Not once, but dozens of times every day. One at a time, from the inside-out, patiently, is how God seeks to change the world.
Each human is endowed with a particular set of gifts and talents, divinely bestowed and intimately linked to a person's life mission. Life isn't about what we want to do. God created us for a specific purpose. Our talents can be so alluring that we deceive ourselves into thinking they are self-generated. these talents are used to further the light or darkness in the world. Our talents are in many ways the creativity of God in us, yearning for expression. Our talents are clues that lead us to our unique life mission.
"Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." -Albert
Discern how God wishes us to express those talents in the world at this moment in history. God didn't give you your talents just for you. But they are gifts he yearns to give other people through you. You have abundant talents. 'Hey god, what talent do you want me to focus on now?" Your life will have many different seasons and God has equipped you for all of them.
You have all the talents you need. If you don't have one, you don't need it.
The more you understand the true value of things, the less likely you will be to waste your time consuming modern media today. The media knows this.
We tend to favor the superficial over the substantial. A talent doesn't have to make you rich and famous to be unique and powerful. And why do the people who become rich and famous continually yearn for more? Because you cannot live a meaningful live by filling it with meaningless activities and things. This is the reason they often start nonprofits.
The DNA of any scandal is desire run amok. Desires may emerge in use unbidden, but ultimately, we choose what desires we express. Ask yourself: "is this desire from God?" The wise man desires God above all else.
There are shallow desires we have for pleasure and comfort, but almost always, there is a deeper desire behind it. Each time we choose to live out our deepest desire, we expand our capacity for everything that is good, true, just, and noble. Siding with our shallow desires too often will have a disastrous impact on our soul.
Listen to God speaking to you through your needs, talents, and desires, and the direction you are seeking will emerge.
Life isn't about getting more done in less time, it's about focusing on those very few things that God intended for you. Cast aside the trivial many and embrace the vital few. Engage in the pursuit of less.
The truth is this, you have to settle because our lives are finite. Keeping all your options open shuts down the possibility of success int he one relationship you are in at the moment.
Doing the will of God transforms FOMO into JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out)
To be human is to desire and we are wonderfully created with desire.
The regular satisfaction of our simplest needs often outshines the satisfaction of a single grand desire.
Pleasure is not the supreme good that life has to offer us. We need to constantly be looking for the desire beyond the desire. The only way to say no to anything is to have a deeper yes. There is a hierarchy of desire.
Sharing our joy magnifies the joy and sharing our heartache diminishes our pain, suffering, and anguish.
A love of lifelong learning is a source of unmitigated joy in this life. Nobody has reached the limits of their intellectual capacity. Most people just quit developing it. There is something about sitting down alone in a quiet place with a good book.
Thinking is good. Reject the phrase "you think too much" because most think too little.
In order for a culture to assert the dominance of sexual desires, it first has to decimate people intellectually.
If you feed your mind garbage, you can expect your life to become no better.
To defend your integrity and dignity, it is critical that your spiritual-intellectual development be at least equal to your professional-intellectual development.
"When there is no vision, the people will perish" - Proverbs.
Write everything down, bring it all into the light to deal with it. The Good, the Bad, and Ugly.
Your better future may be a smaller future.
We face temptation to settle for a false certainty rather than stew in the unknown. There is growth and graces to be found in then unknown.
Our hearts were made for singular devotion. "We want God!"
This is how our lives change: by making God the central object of our attention. Not self or success, not pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, or sloth. God.
When you live a life separated from your values, you suffer.
We are not here to solve the problems, the problems are here to solve us.
Your. deepest desire is to become a saint.
"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." CS Lewis.
You were made for more. The world is fabulous but you weren't made for just this.
The world is only selling what it has to offer. This is not enough.
Most people don't know whats on the menu of life. They choose the first thing that catches their eye and order up a life so much less than God dreamed of for them.
Holiness is the goal and essential purpose of the Christian life. Holiness is possible one moment at a time. The want beyond every want is God.
"People are frugal in guarding their personal property, but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are the most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy." Seneca the Younger
Life is as long as you know how to use it.
We often look for the wrong things, but more often, we are looking for the right things just in the wrong places. Foster the gentle voice within and ignore the many voices of the world. Noise is the spiritual violence of our age.
To live a rich and fulfilling mission-driven life, you need wise counsel, and there is none wiser than the counsel of God.
Come to the Quiet.
For a book like this, the only proper review is my notes:
Will you listen?
It is possible to mis-live you life through mediocrity, laziness, procrastination, obsession with materials, and self-centeredness. You miss out on the life God wanted to give you. Every choice either builds character or erodes it.
Your Life speaks whether you want it to or not. In order for it to speak a profound message, it is first necessary to allow God to speak into it. God chose different ways to speak to different people. He is desperate to get hold of his sons and daughters in need.
God created us with needs. He endowed us with talents. He has placed desire within us.
Listening to voices other than god is exhausting, as our attention ping pongs back and forth leading to poor decisions and no clarity. Personal Clarity allows us to clearly see who we are and what matters most in our purpose.
Learning to say no to things that stand between God's plan for our life is how we become great decision makers.
It is impossible to be disengaged and happy. Life to the fullest is a highly engaged life.
Making money is necessary, but secondary. The primary purpose of work is to become a better-version-of-yourself. Work is also a form of prayer.
The fastest way to improve any relationship is by becoming a better listener. Learning to listen is an art that requires practice. Listening is a state of humility. Listening to God is an act of hopeful expectation, is an act of surrender, and requires an open heart for us to set aside our own agenda.
There is only one opinion that matters: God's. We should have FOMO but not in the way most people think. We should be afraid of missing out on the one thing that God wanted for us while we were too busy pursuing everything else. When we say yes to the stuff that we know isn't for us, we miss out on the stuff that God created just for us.
Open your heart to discovering your true needs and to hearing God speak to you through them.
Physical well-being is the foundation upon which we build our lives. We ought to treat our body as the temple of the holy spirit that it is.
Your feelings aren't good or bad, they are just messengers.
We have a great need for acceptance and a sense of belonging.
The friends we choose either raise or lower our standards.
Our greatest emotional need is for intimacy. Sex is not intimacy. Intimacy is the process of mutual self-revelation that inspires us to give ourselves completely to another person in the mystery we call love-- a complete and unrestrained sharing of self.
The entire human experience is a quest for harmony amid opposing forces.
Carefree timelessness is time together without an agenda. Relationships thrive with this.
We need a diet of the mind. The ideas we feed our mind today tend to form our lives tomorrow.
A narrower base of knowledge necessarily creates a narrower world view.
To really stretch ourselves, we must delve into the wisdom writings. Books change our lives.
If you choose the right diet of the mind, yoru life will be directed by ideas of excellence and greatness. If you allow the media and secular culture to select your intellectual diet, your life will be formed by distraction and mediocrity.
Your spiritual needs are for stillness, silence, solitude, and simplicity.
Learn to be quiet. Learn to be still. In this silence God always speaks.
"All of man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone" - Pascal
Simplicity is one of the governing rules of the universe.
God is in the business of transformation, not tweaking. The Bible leads us to God's transformational plan for our lives. The sacraments are God's systematic plan to provide for our spiritual needs.
We know the things that make us happy, we just don't do them. Happiness Paradox. Nobody can have all their needs met at one point in this life... this is reserved for God in heaven.
We get so easily distracted and mesmerized by shiny things. You were marvelously created so trivial things wouldn't satisfy you. The fading satisfaction of these things is proof that you were made for more. You simply can never get enough of what you don't need.
God created you to be reasonably happy in this life and completely happy in the next life.
Needs are primary and Wants are secondary.
God is always trying to lead us from chaos to order and from confusion to clarity.
There is a reason that flight attendants instruct you to put your oxygen mask on first if the plane's cabin loses pressure. There is no limit to the number of other people that you can serve if you are attending to your own legitimate needs first.
There are two paths we get to choose. Not once, but dozens of times every day. One at a time, from the inside-out, patiently, is how God seeks to change the world.
Each human is endowed with a particular set of gifts and talents, divinely bestowed and intimately linked to a person's life mission. Life isn't about what we want to do. God created us for a specific purpose. Our talents can be so alluring that we deceive ourselves into thinking they are self-generated. these talents are used to further the light or darkness in the world. Our talents are in many ways the creativity of God in us, yearning for expression. Our talents are clues that lead us to our unique life mission.
"Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." -Albert
Discern how God wishes us to express those talents in the world at this moment in history. God didn't give you your talents just for you. But they are gifts he yearns to give other people through you. You have abundant talents. 'Hey god, what talent do you want me to focus on now?" Your life will have many different seasons and God has equipped you for all of them.
You have all the talents you need. If you don't have one, you don't need it.
The more you understand the true value of things, the less likely you will be to waste your time consuming modern media today. The media knows this.
We tend to favor the superficial over the substantial. A talent doesn't have to make you rich and famous to be unique and powerful. And why do the people who become rich and famous continually yearn for more? Because you cannot live a meaningful live by filling it with meaningless activities and things. This is the reason they often start nonprofits.
The DNA of any scandal is desire run amok. Desires may emerge in use unbidden, but ultimately, we choose what desires we express. Ask yourself: "is this desire from God?" The wise man desires God above all else.
There are shallow desires we have for pleasure and comfort, but almost always, there is a deeper desire behind it. Each time we choose to live out our deepest desire, we expand our capacity for everything that is good, true, just, and noble. Siding with our shallow desires too often will have a disastrous impact on our soul.
Listen to God speaking to you through your needs, talents, and desires, and the direction you are seeking will emerge.
Life isn't about getting more done in less time, it's about focusing on those very few things that God intended for you. Cast aside the trivial many and embrace the vital few. Engage in the pursuit of less.
The truth is this, you have to settle because our lives are finite. Keeping all your options open shuts down the possibility of success int he one relationship you are in at the moment.
Doing the will of God transforms FOMO into JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out)
To be human is to desire and we are wonderfully created with desire.
The regular satisfaction of our simplest needs often outshines the satisfaction of a single grand desire.
Pleasure is not the supreme good that life has to offer us. We need to constantly be looking for the desire beyond the desire. The only way to say no to anything is to have a deeper yes. There is a hierarchy of desire.
Sharing our joy magnifies the joy and sharing our heartache diminishes our pain, suffering, and anguish.
A love of lifelong learning is a source of unmitigated joy in this life. Nobody has reached the limits of their intellectual capacity. Most people just quit developing it. There is something about sitting down alone in a quiet place with a good book.
Thinking is good. Reject the phrase "you think too much" because most think too little.
In order for a culture to assert the dominance of sexual desires, it first has to decimate people intellectually.
If you feed your mind garbage, you can expect your life to become no better.
To defend your integrity and dignity, it is critical that your spiritual-intellectual development be at least equal to your professional-intellectual development.
"When there is no vision, the people will perish" - Proverbs.
Write everything down, bring it all into the light to deal with it. The Good, the Bad, and Ugly.
Your better future may be a smaller future.
We face temptation to settle for a false certainty rather than stew in the unknown. There is growth and graces to be found in then unknown.
Our hearts were made for singular devotion. "We want God!"
This is how our lives change: by making God the central object of our attention. Not self or success, not pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, or sloth. God.
When you live a life separated from your values, you suffer.
We are not here to solve the problems, the problems are here to solve us.
Your. deepest desire is to become a saint.
"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." CS Lewis.
You were made for more. The world is fabulous but you weren't made for just this.
The world is only selling what it has to offer. This is not enough.
Most people don't know whats on the menu of life. They choose the first thing that catches their eye and order up a life so much less than God dreamed of for them.
Holiness is the goal and essential purpose of the Christian life. Holiness is possible one moment at a time. The want beyond every want is God.
"People are frugal in guarding their personal property, but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are the most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy." Seneca the Younger
Life is as long as you know how to use it.
We often look for the wrong things, but more often, we are looking for the right things just in the wrong places. Foster the gentle voice within and ignore the many voices of the world. Noise is the spiritual violence of our age.
To live a rich and fulfilling mission-driven life, you need wise counsel, and there is none wiser than the counsel of God.
Come to the Quiet.
January 30, 2025
Quick, “Catholic” read but applicable to all Christians. Took a lot of notes!
May 23, 2025
Absolutely incredible. Changes the way you think to better your life. I will reread this over and over again
August 12, 2024
This book is a must read for every person out there! Without judgement, Matthew describes how we have forgotten to listen to God and how we CAN learn to listen to Him again and what the wonderful benefits are! I was so into this book! It helped me identify where I am surrounding myself with noise and can’t hear sufficiently the one who I want to hear most! Matthew was on FIRE writing this book!
December 23, 2024
M. Kelly writes another short yet very insightful book. Explained simply and as ordinary is profound.
May 16, 2025
They were giving this out for free at church. Got kinda lost in the middle because I just didn’t really agree with what he was saying and he was contradicting himself but there were some good points.
November 21, 2024
This is a good book to start looking at one's life and relationship with God. In many ways, the book is a good one to read before starting Spiritual Direction. By reading the this book, you can be centered on what matters, and start working toward them in prayer, in spiritual direction, or small church group.
December 26, 2024
The book starts out brilliantly and really grabs the reader's attention. The author admonishes us that it is possible to mis-live your life if you don't listen to what Kelly calls the three ordinary voices of God. Kelly is correct when he defines the three voices of God as the various thoughts we all have such as they pertain to our needs, talents, and desires. Only when we understand our needs, talents, and desires can we become the person God wants us to be. Elsewhere Kelly admonishes us again that we must make good decisions lest we miss out on God's plan for us. When Kelly discusses our desires, he includes a great Einstein quote to help to illustrate his thesis: "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." When the talk turns to our desires, Kelly tells us to ignore the shallow ones and to acknowledge only the deep ones. And of course the deepest desire a person can have is the desire to have a real relationship with God. As an O.C.I.A. student, I have to agree with that. Oh, and another brilliant argument Kelly makes is the idea that we should not spend our lives tormenting ourselves with the fear of missing out on something. Rather, we must learn the joy of missing out. Again, that idea really struck me and spoke to me because I've always somehow known that to be true. One should be happy when one resists the temptation to participate in something shallow and/or decadent. Quite simply, I agree with the author. Our needs and desires center around God. And our talents are there to help us in that process of achieving that which God wants us to achieve.
January 4, 2025
Matthew Kelly’s The Three Ordinary Voices of God is a deeply insightful and thought-provoking book that encourages readers to recognize and respond to God’s communication in their daily lives. Kelly explores how God speaks to us in ways that are not only profound but also accessible—using voices that are ordinary, yet powerful. In this book, he teaches that aligning our lives with God's will is not a mystical, distant goal, but a process deeply rooted in the rhythms of our everyday existence.
One of the most powerful elements of Kelly’s message is the idea that God speaks to us through the very experiences of our lives, no matter how ordinary they may seem. He doesn’t require us to retreat into isolation or wait for extraordinary moments of divine revelation. Instead, God communicates through the everyday struggles, challenges, and joys of life, offering us guidance through restlessness, peace, and passion. This perspective is both liberating and comforting, as it assures readers that they don’t need to search for some grand mystical experience to know God’s will; rather, they can find it in the subtle and ordinary moments of life.
Kelly’s book is also a call to live intentionally. By being more attuned to these three voices, we can align our lives with God’s purpose and grow closer to Him in the process. It encourages readers to pay attention to the inner stirrings of their hearts and recognize that God’s will isn’t a distant, abstract concept—it is present in the very ordinary moments of life, urging us to live fully and purposefully.
One of the most powerful elements of Kelly’s message is the idea that God speaks to us through the very experiences of our lives, no matter how ordinary they may seem. He doesn’t require us to retreat into isolation or wait for extraordinary moments of divine revelation. Instead, God communicates through the everyday struggles, challenges, and joys of life, offering us guidance through restlessness, peace, and passion. This perspective is both liberating and comforting, as it assures readers that they don’t need to search for some grand mystical experience to know God’s will; rather, they can find it in the subtle and ordinary moments of life.
Kelly’s book is also a call to live intentionally. By being more attuned to these three voices, we can align our lives with God’s purpose and grow closer to Him in the process. It encourages readers to pay attention to the inner stirrings of their hearts and recognize that God’s will isn’t a distant, abstract concept—it is present in the very ordinary moments of life, urging us to live fully and purposefully.
August 1, 2025
Divided about this one. I almost wish I could give it two different reviews because I approach it from two different angles.
The first angle is as an objective, external person rating the book as it is. The second is from a more subjective, spirituality-base, rating the book on its impact on my spiritual life.
From the first point of view, it's pretty fine. Kelly has a bit of a 'stream of consciousness' writing style here that doesn't really do it for me. The book jumps around a fair bit and circles back on the same ideas, but from slightly different approaches. The subject matter is critically important, but I am not to sure how well he actually broaches it. The book is an interesting fusion of secular self-help with timeless truths that feels a little weird at times to me. This fusion can work and is important, but Kelly didn't really land that fusion here. 3/5.
From the second point of view, this book didn't really do anything for me. If this was my first time hearing and receiving this information, I think it would have been great. I imagine reading this at the end of high school and it being a hugely impactful book. But where I am at right now, this book is a bit too basic and doesn't give me a lot of meat to dig into. 1/5.
I will give the overall rating of 3/5 because I feel I can't begrudge Kelly or the book for just being at a different spiritual space than the intended audience.
The first angle is as an objective, external person rating the book as it is. The second is from a more subjective, spirituality-base, rating the book on its impact on my spiritual life.
From the first point of view, it's pretty fine. Kelly has a bit of a 'stream of consciousness' writing style here that doesn't really do it for me. The book jumps around a fair bit and circles back on the same ideas, but from slightly different approaches. The subject matter is critically important, but I am not to sure how well he actually broaches it. The book is an interesting fusion of secular self-help with timeless truths that feels a little weird at times to me. This fusion can work and is important, but Kelly didn't really land that fusion here. 3/5.
From the second point of view, this book didn't really do anything for me. If this was my first time hearing and receiving this information, I think it would have been great. I imagine reading this at the end of high school and it being a hugely impactful book. But where I am at right now, this book is a bit too basic and doesn't give me a lot of meat to dig into. 1/5.
I will give the overall rating of 3/5 because I feel I can't begrudge Kelly or the book for just being at a different spiritual space than the intended audience.
May 28, 2025
I thought this was a pretty good and inspiration book. I'm going through some major life transitions and this book was helpful in helping me keep perspective.
Per Kelly, God speaks to us through 1) needs, 2) talents and 3) desires. We just aren't listening.
The book says the way to not "mislive" your life is by cultivating a close relationship with God, prioritizing healthy habits, focusing on needs over desires, making time for silence, forming meaningful relationships and partaking in meaningful activities.
There were many passages that stood out to me and that I felt were inspirational. If I ever re-read this book I would highlight them. There are also a handful of activities and questions to ask yourself about what you want and how you're currently living your life.
I think the book would be useful to anyone at a crossroads in their life, exploring a faith-based life, and who generally questions God's will in their life.
Per Kelly, God speaks to us through 1) needs, 2) talents and 3) desires. We just aren't listening.
The book says the way to not "mislive" your life is by cultivating a close relationship with God, prioritizing healthy habits, focusing on needs over desires, making time for silence, forming meaningful relationships and partaking in meaningful activities.
There were many passages that stood out to me and that I felt were inspirational. If I ever re-read this book I would highlight them. There are also a handful of activities and questions to ask yourself about what you want and how you're currently living your life.
I think the book would be useful to anyone at a crossroads in their life, exploring a faith-based life, and who generally questions God's will in their life.
January 17, 2026
Pretty good book that focuses on how God communicates with us. The author discusses in depth that our needs, talents, and desires are these voices. I particularly enjoyed the comment about how there is a want beyond the want…. And it almost always comes back to God. Same with desires. I also enjoy the discussion how sometimes our life can benefit from simplifying it and making a huge impact on one or two people instead of too drawn out. Less can be more.
However, this book does not do a good job of offering practical tips on how to get in tune with these 3 voices, how to let them guide you, or offer any sort of advice on how to move forward. It just teases you with “We’ll get to that later” and the answer ultimately ends up being to get closer to God. It’s a true statement, but to me feels underdeveloped and too vague.
Still, I recommend the book.
However, this book does not do a good job of offering practical tips on how to get in tune with these 3 voices, how to let them guide you, or offer any sort of advice on how to move forward. It just teases you with “We’ll get to that later” and the answer ultimately ends up being to get closer to God. It’s a true statement, but to me feels underdeveloped and too vague.
Still, I recommend the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2025
According to Matthew, God speaks to us through our needs, talents, and desires. Our needs can be divided into four basic needs: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Our talents can be divided into two basic talents: Universal and unique. I was glad to read this because I don't feel I have any unique talents. But universal talents are found in the majority of people. One good example of a universal talent it making a difference in other people's lives which most of us are capable of doing. Desires, the last voice of God, is very powerful if we listen to God and make Him numero uno in our desires. A very thought-provoking book.
July 20, 2025
I took me a bit to finally sit down and finish this book, but this was surprisingly good! This book really helped me take the next step as I looked for a new job. It gave me the courage to boldly change things in my life to align more with the desires on my heart that ultimately stem from the will of God.
Top quotes:
“God, with all the angels and saints, is showering you with the grace and wisdom necessary to do the next right thing.”
“Start prioritizing your needs over your wants.”
“You are not here to solve the problems; the problems are here to make you holy.”
“Does what I am considering doing align with my values?”
Top quotes:
“God, with all the angels and saints, is showering you with the grace and wisdom necessary to do the next right thing.”
“Start prioritizing your needs over your wants.”
“You are not here to solve the problems; the problems are here to make you holy.”
“Does what I am considering doing align with my values?”
August 26, 2024
Matthew Kelly writes in a very deep, profoundly spiritual, yet succinct and practical manner, that enhances one’s life, if you take the time to read and think it through. I do believe this is one of his best books, and I have read several. I had never really thought about God having three voices: the voice of need, the voice of talent, and the voice of desire. But as Matthew presents it, it is simplistic, yet wise, and filled with great promise for the reader. Thank you, for yet again a beautiful book well done.
July 13, 2025
I have read several Matthew Kelly books (parish hands them out). He's my favorite author on Christianity and Catholicism. I recently finished The Three Ordinary Voices of God. This book really spoke to me because it reminded me that God speaks to us every day, not just in grandiose ways but also in the ordinary moments of our lives. Kelly breaks these voices down into 3 categories: needs, talents, and desires. He emphasizes the importance of paying attention to these voices and using them to guide our actions and decisions.
One key takeaway from this book is the concept of "needs." Kelly explains how God often speaks to us through our basic human needs, such as food, shelter, and companionship. These needs are essential for our survival and well-being, and by addressing them, we are also fulfilling God's call for us. This idea challenged me to rethink my understanding of God's voice and how I can better respond to it.
Another powerful aspect of The Three Ordinary Voices of God is Kelly's emphasis on the importance of community. He writes about how God often speaks to us through the people in our lives, whether it be friends, family members, or even strangers. These individuals can provide guidance and support as we navigate life's challenges, and their presence is a reminder of God's constant love and care for us.
Overall, The Three Ordinary Voices of God is a thought-provoking and inspiring read that reminds us to be attuned to God's presence and voice in our everyday lives.
One key takeaway from this book is the concept of "needs." Kelly explains how God often speaks to us through our basic human needs, such as food, shelter, and companionship. These needs are essential for our survival and well-being, and by addressing them, we are also fulfilling God's call for us. This idea challenged me to rethink my understanding of God's voice and how I can better respond to it.
Another powerful aspect of The Three Ordinary Voices of God is Kelly's emphasis on the importance of community. He writes about how God often speaks to us through the people in our lives, whether it be friends, family members, or even strangers. These individuals can provide guidance and support as we navigate life's challenges, and their presence is a reminder of God's constant love and care for us.
Overall, The Three Ordinary Voices of God is a thought-provoking and inspiring read that reminds us to be attuned to God's presence and voice in our everyday lives.
January 4, 2026
Quick, thought provoking read. Like other Kelly books, his thoughts and discussion is repeated throughout his books rather than focusing on the topic of each book individually.
"...if you spend all of your time here on earth living for this world alone, you will never be happy."
"We allow ourselves to become confused and distracted by all the other voices in this world. These other voices drown out the quiet voice within us that God uses to direct the daily activity of our lives if we agree to follow his lead."
"...if you spend all of your time here on earth living for this world alone, you will never be happy."
"We allow ourselves to become confused and distracted by all the other voices in this world. These other voices drown out the quiet voice within us that God uses to direct the daily activity of our lives if we agree to follow his lead."
March 20, 2025
Matthew Kelly is always a simple but interesting read! I love the idea that our needs, our talents and our desires are ways that God speaks to us. He ends with we need to be quiet in order to hear the voice of God in our very noisy society!
I loved his comment about his mother. She is a regular person who hasn't won any awards or notice from many people but she knows who she is and gives her best talents which makes her right in God's eyes.
I loved his comment about his mother. She is a regular person who hasn't won any awards or notice from many people but she knows who she is and gives her best talents which makes her right in God's eyes.
June 28, 2025
Looking for inspiration to live your life to the fullest? Kelly's book outlines steps you can take to discern God's plan for you. Easy to understand the "whys" as well as ways to implement the "hows" will help you on your journey. Kelly's book will make you think and reflect about living your best life, one based on enduring choices rather than the latest trend. Sometimes the hardest part is just starting. Give yourself the gift of Kelly's book.
September 10, 2024
A spiritual gem
I found The Three Ordinary Voices of God to be a spiritual gem. A wonderful guide for reflection, this work encourages the reader to seek out how the Lord may be communicating with him or her in a deep and intimate way. I found it helpful in jumpstarting my meditation practices and the type of resource I can turn to again and again.
I found The Three Ordinary Voices of God to be a spiritual gem. A wonderful guide for reflection, this work encourages the reader to seek out how the Lord may be communicating with him or her in a deep and intimate way. I found it helpful in jumpstarting my meditation practices and the type of resource I can turn to again and again.
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