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Work That Matters: Create a Livelihood That Reflects Your Core Intention
So many of us feel trapped in wage slavery and deadened to our true talents and life’s purpose. Or we’ve wandered through dozens of jobs and are left feeling adrift and without meaning in our lives. Livelihood is a source of great suffering for way too many.Author and longtime meditator Maia Duerr wandered through several professions and dozens of jobs (including alfalfa sprout packer and Buddhist chaplain) before she finally unlocked a combination of work that was deeply fulfilling and sustainable. These experiences provided her with rich material to examine the emotional, psychological, and cultural barriers to creating work that expressed her life’s core intention, what she calls “Liberation-Based Livelihood.”Work is one of the primary vehicles for expressing our deepest selves. Using the 6 Keys to Liberation-Based Livelihood as a framework, Duerr takes readers through a comprehensive process that can lead to breakthroughs and positive reformulation of their careers. Mindfulness practice is an invaluable tool in the process of gaining new perspective. Work That Matters gives you the tools to create joyful work that embodies love and compassion—for yourself, and for the whole world.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2017
25 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Maia Duerr
1 book14 followersA writer, consultant, and coach, Maia Duerr draws on her decades of Zen practice and training in anthropology to create powerful tools for integrating mindfulness into the workplace and in clients’ everyday lives. Through her workshops, online programs, individual coaching, and writing, she has supported people around the world to create work that matters. Duerr has an MA in Cultural Anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and currently lives in Northern New Mexico.
Maia is the author of Work That Matters (Parallax Press) and is working on her first memoir.
Maia is the author of Work That Matters (Parallax Press) and is working on her first memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 2, 2017
BOOK REVIEW: Work that Matters by Maia Duerr
Maia Duerr's new book is all you want to read before this year ends. Why? Because her book holds that element of getting you enthusiastic to start the New Year with an authentic perspective of how to keep living and do what you want to do.
After having multiple jobs in her life and feeling trapped by her intuition of what she wants to do and struggling in the wage slave economy, in this book, Maia advices on how stop living a meaningless life. She defines that a career for an individual is an expression of one's life and its core intention, we must take necessary steps that are practical enough with vivid reality we are all part of. Work That Matters: Create a Livelihood that Reflects Your Intention is all about that. Author starts from some pragmatic tips like being self-aware with some well known mindfullness practices, shares her own vision and experience with them and concludes in first few chapters how highly beneficial they are when adapted as a habit.
Work is one of the primary vehicles for expressing our deepest selves.
When I picked her book, I wasn't so sure that it will have such a deep influence over me. Well there I said it. Her words are soothing, pragmatic and visionary in terms of creating livelihood and fill all the gaps by doing what you want to do for living rather than what you do not. In this book, she has covered anecdotes from own life and few others like her and do provide tools to create a joyful work that embodies love and compassion for self. In the book, she examines emotional, psychological and cultural barriers to create work as the driving force of one's life, after wandering through a dozen jobs in a period of a decade. She does provide few steps that I would not call it a roadmap, but it does make sense which are entitled under "Liberation-Based Livelihood".
The writing style is smooth, with steady in pace and I'd recommend the only way to get something out of this book is to read and be self-aware about what you are reading. Some of the pragmatic tips she provides are really helpful if one decides to constantly mingle with them. This is one of the greatest wisdom holding book I have read this year. The perfect audience for this book are freelancers, digital nomads and the person who want to pursue a career opportuinty on their own terms.
5 out of 5!
Maia Duerr's new book is all you want to read before this year ends. Why? Because her book holds that element of getting you enthusiastic to start the New Year with an authentic perspective of how to keep living and do what you want to do.
After having multiple jobs in her life and feeling trapped by her intuition of what she wants to do and struggling in the wage slave economy, in this book, Maia advices on how stop living a meaningless life. She defines that a career for an individual is an expression of one's life and its core intention, we must take necessary steps that are practical enough with vivid reality we are all part of. Work That Matters: Create a Livelihood that Reflects Your Intention is all about that. Author starts from some pragmatic tips like being self-aware with some well known mindfullness practices, shares her own vision and experience with them and concludes in first few chapters how highly beneficial they are when adapted as a habit.
Work is one of the primary vehicles for expressing our deepest selves.
When I picked her book, I wasn't so sure that it will have such a deep influence over me. Well there I said it. Her words are soothing, pragmatic and visionary in terms of creating livelihood and fill all the gaps by doing what you want to do for living rather than what you do not. In this book, she has covered anecdotes from own life and few others like her and do provide tools to create a joyful work that embodies love and compassion for self. In the book, she examines emotional, psychological and cultural barriers to create work as the driving force of one's life, after wandering through a dozen jobs in a period of a decade. She does provide few steps that I would not call it a roadmap, but it does make sense which are entitled under "Liberation-Based Livelihood".
The writing style is smooth, with steady in pace and I'd recommend the only way to get something out of this book is to read and be self-aware about what you are reading. Some of the pragmatic tips she provides are really helpful if one decides to constantly mingle with them. This is one of the greatest wisdom holding book I have read this year. The perfect audience for this book are freelancers, digital nomads and the person who want to pursue a career opportuinty on their own terms.
5 out of 5!
March 15, 2018
Maia Duerr tackles a problem that is a stumbling block for many in America.
How do you participate in a process of work that creates a meaninful livelihood? How do you serve the innerbeing of youself and creation as you walk in the way of the world?
I found this to be a joyful, fun read and I feel that it will be of great value to most everyone. Please get a copy, read, ponder the ideas, reflect, take action to adjust your life as needed, then recommend and pass this book on to a friend...they will be thankful.
How do you participate in a process of work that creates a meaninful livelihood? How do you serve the innerbeing of youself and creation as you walk in the way of the world?
I found this to be a joyful, fun read and I feel that it will be of great value to most everyone. Please get a copy, read, ponder the ideas, reflect, take action to adjust your life as needed, then recommend and pass this book on to a friend...they will be thankful.
March 24, 2019
I really liked the ways this book made me think about meaningful work and what that could mean in my life. The author's activities that led us to figure out what is was about our work that spoke to us were very interesting. It was a worthwhile read for me, even just taking the time to soak it in and see what came up was a good exercise.
July 25, 2024
Highly recommend this book! It really helped me sort through what I've done and where I'm going, even when I've thought about it a million times before.
November 3, 2018
Was expecting hippy-dippy nonsense but instead was met by the writings of a fellow Renaissance-human and 'portfolio career' person. I suppose it's meant to help you 'decide what you want to do when you grow up' but I just found it to be a fascinating account of the life of someone I can strongly empathise with.
I left feeling inspired and validated, which is not usually the case for me with books in this genre. Have made a note to re-read when I need a shot in the arm or am starting to question my existence more than normal. Good stuff, Maia!
I left feeling inspired and validated, which is not usually the case for me with books in this genre. Have made a note to re-read when I need a shot in the arm or am starting to question my existence more than normal. Good stuff, Maia!
July 3, 2022
BOOK REVIEW: Work that Matters by Maia Duerr
Maia Duerr's new book is all you want to read before this year ends. Why? Because her book holds that element of getting you enthusiastic to start the New Year with an authentic perspective of how to keep living and do what you want to do.
After having multiple jobs in her life and feeling trapped by her intuition of what she wants to do and struggling in the wage slave economy, in this book, Maia advices on how stop living a meaningless life. She defines that a career for an individual is an expression of one's life and its core intention, we must take necessary steps that are practical enough with vivid reality we are all part of. Work That Matters: Create a Livelihood that Reflects Your Intention is all about that. Author starts from some pragmatic tips like being self-aware with some well known mindfullness practices, shares her own vision and experience with them and concludes in first few chapters how highly beneficial they are when adapted as a habit.
Work is one of the primary vehicles for expressing our deepest selves.
When I picked her book, I wasn't so sure that it will have such a deep influence over me. Well there I said it. Her words are soothing, pragmatic and visionary in terms of creating livelihood and fill all the gaps by doing what you want to do for living rather than what you do not. In this book, she has covered anecdotes from own life and few others like her and do provide tools to create a joyful work that embodies love and compassion for self. In the book, she examines emotional, psychological and cultural barriers to create work as the driving force of one's life, after wandering through a dozen jobs in a period of a decade. She does provide few steps that I would not call it a roadmap, but it does make sense which are entitled under "Liberation-Based Livelihood".
The writing style is smooth, with steady in pace and I'd recommend the only way to get something out of this book is to read and be self-aware about what you are reading. Some of the pragmatic tips she provides are really helpful if one decides to constantly mingle with them. This is one of the greatest wisdom holding book I have read this year. The perfect audience for this book are freelancers, digital nomads and the person who want to pursue a career opportuinty on their own terms.
5 out of 5!
Maia Duerr's new book is all you want to read before this year ends. Why? Because her book holds that element of getting you enthusiastic to start the New Year with an authentic perspective of how to keep living and do what you want to do.
After having multiple jobs in her life and feeling trapped by her intuition of what she wants to do and struggling in the wage slave economy, in this book, Maia advices on how stop living a meaningless life. She defines that a career for an individual is an expression of one's life and its core intention, we must take necessary steps that are practical enough with vivid reality we are all part of. Work That Matters: Create a Livelihood that Reflects Your Intention is all about that. Author starts from some pragmatic tips like being self-aware with some well known mindfullness practices, shares her own vision and experience with them and concludes in first few chapters how highly beneficial they are when adapted as a habit.
Work is one of the primary vehicles for expressing our deepest selves.
When I picked her book, I wasn't so sure that it will have such a deep influence over me. Well there I said it. Her words are soothing, pragmatic and visionary in terms of creating livelihood and fill all the gaps by doing what you want to do for living rather than what you do not. In this book, she has covered anecdotes from own life and few others like her and do provide tools to create a joyful work that embodies love and compassion for self. In the book, she examines emotional, psychological and cultural barriers to create work as the driving force of one's life, after wandering through a dozen jobs in a period of a decade. She does provide few steps that I would not call it a roadmap, but it does make sense which are entitled under "Liberation-Based Livelihood".
The writing style is smooth, with steady in pace and I'd recommend the only way to get something out of this book is to read and be self-aware about what you are reading. Some of the pragmatic tips she provides are really helpful if one decides to constantly mingle with them. This is one of the greatest wisdom holding book I have read this year. The perfect audience for this book are freelancers, digital nomads and the person who want to pursue a career opportuinty on their own terms.
5 out of 5!
August 25, 2019
So many of us grew up trying to figure out what the world (parents/culture/religion) wanted us to be, and then tried to figure out our work lives from that place. In "Work That Matters," the reader is guided in listening to their own heart, conscience, and values. Maia Duerr provides a grounded and practical approach for those of us who want our days to be filled with work that is meaningful and aligned with our deepest intentions.
March 23, 2018
This is a terrific book. It will transform your life as you engage deeply in the offerings of wisdom...you will find your heart’s true longing! A perfect book to help us ‘find our way’ in these challenging times!
March 13, 2019
Very thoughtful and insightful career/life guidance
September 28, 2019
Patient and graceful.
May 20, 2018
Maia's book is a practical and inspirational roadmap from wherever you are in your relationship with your work life to the next level of weaving what you do for money into your deepest aspirations for your life and the well-being of the world. She is particularly skilled at providing gentle and powerful guidance for how to navigate the obstacles that keep us stuck where we are through her Six Keys to Liberation-Based Livelihood: 1. Become Intimate with Your Core Intention, 2. Value Your Gifts and Time, 3. Break Through Inertia and Take Action, 4. Make Friends with Uncertainty, 5. Think Big and Make the Most of Your Resources, and 6. Build a Circle of Allies and Ask for Help. Unlike most career advice, Maia speaks with particular attention to the creative possibilities of making a path as an unconventionally-employed person with stories and testimonies from a variety of folks who have forged their own unique ways in the working world and found a way to offer what brings them the greatest joy to the benefit of themselves and others. I would save the money you might spend on career counseling or a relevant workshop and give yourself the gift of spending time working through the exercises in this book. A retreat's worth of transformation in book form, Work That Matters is the perfect companion for the mindfulness student ready for what she calls "Right Livelihood 2.0," or anyone feeling that bored, restless or terrifying pull that it's time to shift things in the work/money/livelihood/life's purpose department into the next gear.
January 14, 2018
This is an intriguing book for me, since I've always been one of those "follow your heart and your principles and integrity, and worry about the money later" kind of people. Maia Duerr is describing a lot of my process, though I never put words to it. This book inspires, encourages, and stimulates reflection. But she doesn't just stir you up ... she also centers you, and offers tools and practices for working through the fear and deeper "stuff" that can come up when you confront the questions around livelihood.
I'm still in the middle of the book, and I'm appreciating it deeply.
I'm still in the middle of the book, and I'm appreciating it deeply.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews