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Survival Guide for the Soul: How to Flourish Spiritually in a World that Pressures Us to Achieve
WINNER OF THE WORD GUILD 2019 CHRISTIAN LIVING BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD "The pages you are about to read may feel like a literal rescue." —Ann Voskamp, New York Times Bestselling author Survival Guide for the Soul is a profound spiritual exploration of God's love—a love that many of us understand intellectually without fully grasping or relying on in our day-to-day experiences—a love that fills our sails with joy and frees us to truly flourish. Many of us are driven by an ambition to accomplish something big outside ourselves. On all sides, we're pressured to achieve —professionally, socially, financially. Even when we're aware of this pressure, it can be hard to escape the vicious circles of accomplishment, frustration, and spiritual burn-out. Drawing on a wide range of sources from Scripture to church history to psychology and modern neuroscience—as well as deeply personal stories from his own life—Ken Shigematsu, recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, vividly demonstrates how the gospel redeems our desires and reorders our lives. Pastor Shigematsu offers fresh perspective on how certain spiritual practices help orient our lives so that our souls can flourish in the midst of a demanding, competitive society. And he concludes with a liberating and counter-cultural definition of true greatness. If you long to experience a deeper relationship with Christ within the daily pressures to succeed, Survival Guide for the Soul is packed with biblical wisdom and a godly approach to transcend the human tendency to define ourselves by our productivity and success. "Loaded with practical insights and encouraging thoughts, every reader will benefit from Ken's work." —Max Lucado, New York Times Bestselling author
224 pages, Paperback
Published August 7, 2018
98 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
Ken Shigematsu
7 books47 followersKen Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-center churches in Canada. He is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded to Canadians in recognition for their outstanding contribution to the country. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo and draws on both eastern and western perspectives in writing and speaking. Ken lives in Vancouver with his wife, Sakiko, and their son, Joey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
November 21, 2018
I notice that numerous early reviews have come in from people who attend Tenth Church.
In many respects this is a good book that introduces readers to the spiritual disciplines (such as meditation, servanthood and vocation). As with Ken's preaching, it is accessible, practical, highly dependent upon personal narratives to demonstrate his points. At the end of each chapter Ken provides discussion questions, making this an ideal book for Bible studies or small groups. Throughout the book Ken contrasts ambitious "Striving Adam" with contemplative "Soulful Adam," highlighting how we are composed of both and NEED both in our lives. Ken is appreciative of catholic Christianity, often weaving in insights from saints such as Ignatius of Loyola, Leo Tolstoy, and Billy Graham.
I had to quibble with some parts of the book. I was very annoyed that throughout the book Ken refers to Tenth as a "faith community" rather than a "church." This gymnastic lingo is silly; call it church - do you really think using "church" is a hindrance for people? If it is, how will the word ever be redeemed (hence, despite the lamentably high percentage of white evangelicals who support Donald Trump, those Christians who have serious qualms and criticisms of the forty-fifth president should not abandon the term but reclaim it, demonstrate its breadth)? I appreciate local pastor Ed Searcy's criticisms of using "faith community" here.
Relying on personality tests and the book "Prayer and Temperament," Ken points out that only a small percentage of Christians tend to connect with God best through Bible study. Ken does not dismiss Bible study but he also suggests believers lean into other ways of experiencing God if Bible study is challenging for them. I think that some segments of conservative Protestantism are too biblicist, but I also want to uphold Scripture's authority as primary. I'm also reminded of Eugene Peterson's insistence that Christians ought to prioritize Scripture and prayer ("A Long Obedience in the Same Direction").
I've been dissatisfied with many Christian takes on vocation. Too often the focus is on the individual and this often neglects other factors in the individual's life, specifically family obligations (i.e. what if the individual abandons their dream vocation that pays little for an adequate job that provides a stable and steady income so that they can support their family?). Ken cautions against those who pursue a profession simply for the prestige or wealth, but what about those who sacrifice their ideal vocation so as to provide a better life for their loved ones? It is also rather bourgeois to speak as if anyone can have what job they most long for or seem built for (this is why I have grown increasingly skeptical of Frederick Buechner's famous declaration, "The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet"). Nowadays extensive training is typically required for a job; someone may have a tremendous pedagogical gifting but with no college education or an undergraduate degree in anthropology they cannot simply walk into a university and say, "I'm meant to teach - give me a lecture hall!" I would observe that many of the members of the "faith community" that are featured in this book come from highly-regarded professions such as medicine.
Lastly, while every author offers their own unique perspective and voice, I just did not see the need for another book on the spiritual disciplines (I felt the same way with "God in my Everything;" hadn't Mark Buchanan and Ruth Haley Barton already written recent books on spiritual rhythm?). I'm more likely to point people to the classic modern books on spiritual disciplines such as Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline." Personally, I would love it if Ken would write a book concerning North American Asian Christians and their unique experiencing in pursuing and practicing faith. I think he touches on it a bit - I know a lot of my Asian evangelical friends have felt pressure to achieve and to enter prestigious and high-paying professions such as law, medicine, or engineering as opposed to say, creative writing or social work - but there aren't many books that tackle the dynamics of the North American Asian Christian experience.
"Survival Guide for the Soul" reminds readers that they do not need to recklessly strive in order to be considered worthy because each one of us is deeply loved and cherished by our Creator.
In many respects this is a good book that introduces readers to the spiritual disciplines (such as meditation, servanthood and vocation). As with Ken's preaching, it is accessible, practical, highly dependent upon personal narratives to demonstrate his points. At the end of each chapter Ken provides discussion questions, making this an ideal book for Bible studies or small groups. Throughout the book Ken contrasts ambitious "Striving Adam" with contemplative "Soulful Adam," highlighting how we are composed of both and NEED both in our lives. Ken is appreciative of catholic Christianity, often weaving in insights from saints such as Ignatius of Loyola, Leo Tolstoy, and Billy Graham.
I had to quibble with some parts of the book. I was very annoyed that throughout the book Ken refers to Tenth as a "faith community" rather than a "church." This gymnastic lingo is silly; call it church - do you really think using "church" is a hindrance for people? If it is, how will the word ever be redeemed (hence, despite the lamentably high percentage of white evangelicals who support Donald Trump, those Christians who have serious qualms and criticisms of the forty-fifth president should not abandon the term but reclaim it, demonstrate its breadth)? I appreciate local pastor Ed Searcy's criticisms of using "faith community" here.
Relying on personality tests and the book "Prayer and Temperament," Ken points out that only a small percentage of Christians tend to connect with God best through Bible study. Ken does not dismiss Bible study but he also suggests believers lean into other ways of experiencing God if Bible study is challenging for them. I think that some segments of conservative Protestantism are too biblicist, but I also want to uphold Scripture's authority as primary. I'm also reminded of Eugene Peterson's insistence that Christians ought to prioritize Scripture and prayer ("A Long Obedience in the Same Direction").
I've been dissatisfied with many Christian takes on vocation. Too often the focus is on the individual and this often neglects other factors in the individual's life, specifically family obligations (i.e. what if the individual abandons their dream vocation that pays little for an adequate job that provides a stable and steady income so that they can support their family?). Ken cautions against those who pursue a profession simply for the prestige or wealth, but what about those who sacrifice their ideal vocation so as to provide a better life for their loved ones? It is also rather bourgeois to speak as if anyone can have what job they most long for or seem built for (this is why I have grown increasingly skeptical of Frederick Buechner's famous declaration, "The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet"). Nowadays extensive training is typically required for a job; someone may have a tremendous pedagogical gifting but with no college education or an undergraduate degree in anthropology they cannot simply walk into a university and say, "I'm meant to teach - give me a lecture hall!" I would observe that many of the members of the "faith community" that are featured in this book come from highly-regarded professions such as medicine.
Lastly, while every author offers their own unique perspective and voice, I just did not see the need for another book on the spiritual disciplines (I felt the same way with "God in my Everything;" hadn't Mark Buchanan and Ruth Haley Barton already written recent books on spiritual rhythm?). I'm more likely to point people to the classic modern books on spiritual disciplines such as Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline." Personally, I would love it if Ken would write a book concerning North American Asian Christians and their unique experiencing in pursuing and practicing faith. I think he touches on it a bit - I know a lot of my Asian evangelical friends have felt pressure to achieve and to enter prestigious and high-paying professions such as law, medicine, or engineering as opposed to say, creative writing or social work - but there aren't many books that tackle the dynamics of the North American Asian Christian experience.
"Survival Guide for the Soul" reminds readers that they do not need to recklessly strive in order to be considered worthy because each one of us is deeply loved and cherished by our Creator.
October 16, 2023
I started reading this one as part of a small group study at the church we've been visiting for the past few months. While the premise is good, I didn't really like it. What I did like was the was the focus on spiritual habits that will help strengthen your relationship with God. Shigematsu talks about the following spiritual practices - meditation, sabbath, gratitude, simple abundance/minimalism, servanthood, friendship, and vocation. All of these are great practices for your spiritual life and relationship with God. What I didn't like was the tone and how the book was written. I feel like the tone of the book was somewhat dumbed down. There were a LOT of really obvious or hokey examples throughout the book. I feel like unfortunately this is fairly common with Christian living books - they feel somewhat juvenile or like the reader is pretty ignorant so the examples have to be something a child would understand. I don't want to rip on this book as there are good practices and ideas, but I really didn't like the tone and how dumbed-down it felt. I personally would recommend some of the same spiritual practices but not this book.
August 4, 2018
I have often argued that the Christian life is a struggle to reach an equilibrium: Christians should be emotional but also studious; Christians should believe in the sovereignty of God but also the free agency of man; Christians should pursue Bible reading tempered with prayer.
Ken Shigematsu believes the same. In his book, “Survival Guide for the Soul,” he brings to the foreground a juxtaposition of two paradoxical positions: the striving Adam and the soulful Adam. The striving Adam is the person who focuses on success in their professional lives. For example, Ken pastors a church in Vancouver B.C., but before this he worked for Sony Corps in Tokyo, Japan. He explains that the pursuit of his aspirations in that position was the embodiment of the striving Adam. Conversely, the soulful Adam finds solace in centering on those things that are healthy for our spirits. For example, making priorities of God, family, and friendships all typify the soulful Adam. Every human, as Ken argues, embody these two Adams. They are not at odds with each other for many would agree that you need both to survive in this world. However, humans have a tendency to worship the former. Often times we are so wrapped up in our accomplishments, the future, the successes at our workplaces, or other distractions that we forget to tend to our soulful Adam. This book is about navigating this world by feeding our soulful Adam a diet of spirituality in, as the subtext of the book describes, a “world that pressures us to achieve.”
Part 1 of this book examines the two selves, the soulful Adam and the striving Adam. Part 2 is the meat and heart of the book: the “survival habits of the soul,” or those practical disciplines that guide our soulful Adam. The chapter themes are as follows:
meditation; sabbath; gratitude; simple abundance; servanthood; friendship; vocation; and redefining greatness.
I found some of these chapters to be extremely helpful. Friendship, in particular, was a convicting chapter to read. Friendships strengthen us, as Ken explains, encourage us and builds us up. Jesus surrounded himself with friends and we too need to have godly Christian friends that refreshen us in the chaos of the world. Ken challenges the reader to pursue those friendships that “…[inspire] you toward Christ and his call upon your life…” I also found the chapters on simple abundance, gratitude, vocation, and redefining greatness helpful as a reminder to continue to practice such things.
I also found the chapters on meditation and the sabbath to be inapplicable to me personally. While I was reading this book, I was telling my wife about the chapter on meditation. I asked her if she would meditate and she quickly, without much thought, said flatly, “no.” While I understand the spirit of meditation (and specifically what Ken talks about when he says “meditation” is not identical to the Buddhist type), I don’t find that practice particularly helpful to me. I do not believe there is mandate for a sabbath as well in the Bible, so while I think it is a good idea to get rest on one day, I do not that that Christians are sinning if they do not.
These are a few minor points to an otherwise well written and well thought out book. I think this book will be very helpful for those who struggle with battling their career driven desires. The chapter on redefining greatness sums this up nicely:
“When we come face to face with our own death, we realize that it doesn’t really matter if we went to a great school, are on a prestigious career track, have spectacular achievements, or have raised accomplished children. What matters is that we know that God loves us and cares about who we are becoming far more than what we do or don’t do.”
These words ring true for so many. For more information, please visit the website:
survivalguideforthesoul.com
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for providing an honest review.
Ken Shigematsu believes the same. In his book, “Survival Guide for the Soul,” he brings to the foreground a juxtaposition of two paradoxical positions: the striving Adam and the soulful Adam. The striving Adam is the person who focuses on success in their professional lives. For example, Ken pastors a church in Vancouver B.C., but before this he worked for Sony Corps in Tokyo, Japan. He explains that the pursuit of his aspirations in that position was the embodiment of the striving Adam. Conversely, the soulful Adam finds solace in centering on those things that are healthy for our spirits. For example, making priorities of God, family, and friendships all typify the soulful Adam. Every human, as Ken argues, embody these two Adams. They are not at odds with each other for many would agree that you need both to survive in this world. However, humans have a tendency to worship the former. Often times we are so wrapped up in our accomplishments, the future, the successes at our workplaces, or other distractions that we forget to tend to our soulful Adam. This book is about navigating this world by feeding our soulful Adam a diet of spirituality in, as the subtext of the book describes, a “world that pressures us to achieve.”
Part 1 of this book examines the two selves, the soulful Adam and the striving Adam. Part 2 is the meat and heart of the book: the “survival habits of the soul,” or those practical disciplines that guide our soulful Adam. The chapter themes are as follows:
meditation; sabbath; gratitude; simple abundance; servanthood; friendship; vocation; and redefining greatness.
I found some of these chapters to be extremely helpful. Friendship, in particular, was a convicting chapter to read. Friendships strengthen us, as Ken explains, encourage us and builds us up. Jesus surrounded himself with friends and we too need to have godly Christian friends that refreshen us in the chaos of the world. Ken challenges the reader to pursue those friendships that “…[inspire] you toward Christ and his call upon your life…” I also found the chapters on simple abundance, gratitude, vocation, and redefining greatness helpful as a reminder to continue to practice such things.
I also found the chapters on meditation and the sabbath to be inapplicable to me personally. While I was reading this book, I was telling my wife about the chapter on meditation. I asked her if she would meditate and she quickly, without much thought, said flatly, “no.” While I understand the spirit of meditation (and specifically what Ken talks about when he says “meditation” is not identical to the Buddhist type), I don’t find that practice particularly helpful to me. I do not believe there is mandate for a sabbath as well in the Bible, so while I think it is a good idea to get rest on one day, I do not that that Christians are sinning if they do not.
These are a few minor points to an otherwise well written and well thought out book. I think this book will be very helpful for those who struggle with battling their career driven desires. The chapter on redefining greatness sums this up nicely:
“When we come face to face with our own death, we realize that it doesn’t really matter if we went to a great school, are on a prestigious career track, have spectacular achievements, or have raised accomplished children. What matters is that we know that God loves us and cares about who we are becoming far more than what we do or don’t do.”
These words ring true for so many. For more information, please visit the website:
survivalguideforthesoul.com
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for providing an honest review.
August 9, 2018
‘Survival Guide for the Soul’, is a gift and an inspiration. Like his first book, ‘God is My Everything’, Ken Shigematsu’s second book is an anthology of practiced disciplines born from his knowledge of both ancient and contemporary works. I am delighted to receive this book as part of its launch and this review is my honest opinion.
I am grateful to have heard Ken speak over the years as part of the Tenth Church community. This book serves as a compass when life becomes too busy or disorienting. I will often revisit the ‘Survival Guide’ as I work out what God works in me: to better know that I am his beloved; “…being beloved is the core truth of our existence.” How do we acknowledge this? Ken illustrates the practice of spiritual survival through many ‘ordinary’ others. I feel blessed to know some them as friends. As presented in this book, Soulful Habits are making the ‘extraordinary’ difference in their lives.
Pastor Ken’s writing is like fresh air after a spring rain. He opens up about how honouring his soul can be harmonious with his ambitious, worldly self. Some habits come easier to me (gratitude, servanthood). Others will need to be tweaked or trialed (simple abundance, meditation). He is encouraging and kind; you don’t have to master all these habits overnight, nor will all align with your soul, instead “…embrace the spiritual practices that are consistent with the grain of (y)our character.” Ken writes like he speaks, and if you ever wanted a compilation of his sermons to reference, get this book.
I am grateful to have heard Ken speak over the years as part of the Tenth Church community. This book serves as a compass when life becomes too busy or disorienting. I will often revisit the ‘Survival Guide’ as I work out what God works in me: to better know that I am his beloved; “…being beloved is the core truth of our existence.” How do we acknowledge this? Ken illustrates the practice of spiritual survival through many ‘ordinary’ others. I feel blessed to know some them as friends. As presented in this book, Soulful Habits are making the ‘extraordinary’ difference in their lives.
Pastor Ken’s writing is like fresh air after a spring rain. He opens up about how honouring his soul can be harmonious with his ambitious, worldly self. Some habits come easier to me (gratitude, servanthood). Others will need to be tweaked or trialed (simple abundance, meditation). He is encouraging and kind; you don’t have to master all these habits overnight, nor will all align with your soul, instead “…embrace the spiritual practices that are consistent with the grain of (y)our character.” Ken writes like he speaks, and if you ever wanted a compilation of his sermons to reference, get this book.
August 8, 2022
Good, Easy Read
Ken Shigematsu is a pastor who has a genuine care for others. The way that he weaves his own story through solid biblical teaching and application really highlights this in this book. This book is a lot about changing perspectives… what are the things that motivate us at a heart level and what may Christ be doing to transform us into His image? It’s definitely worth reading.
Ken Shigematsu is a pastor who has a genuine care for others. The way that he weaves his own story through solid biblical teaching and application really highlights this in this book. This book is a lot about changing perspectives… what are the things that motivate us at a heart level and what may Christ be doing to transform us into His image? It’s definitely worth reading.
August 21, 2019
A good book especially for those who feel pressure to achieve. I enjoy reading Ken's writings and the stories of people he shares.
July 3, 2021
I liked how this author used a lot of real life historical figures and lesser known people to illustrate his points.
July 18, 2025
Ken Shigematsu is slowly becoming one of my favorite authors. Feels like I’m having a conversation with him at a coffee shop through each chapter.
December 7, 2020
Simple & practical. Buying this one for my permanent bookshelf.
August 4, 2018
I received an ARC of this book as part of the launch team. This book did a fantastic job of mixing together the spiritual disciplines with mental health and neuroscience, and I loved it! The author did a great job of talking about the achiever within us, and how this impacts our faith and relationships.
Read
March 5, 2019A good read by Ken. He is surprisingly honest when it comes to telling his own struggles--to a point where at times it's funny! Giving the classic spiritual disciplines a contemporary look, you will find it refreshing.
August 4, 2018
This book deepened my motivation to restart spiritual practices I've given up on and it gave me practical ideas on how to approach the practices differently. Ken’s book is filled with engaging stories and deep insights. I especially appreciated the variety of stories, from leaders in the past and present and “regular” people from Ken’s church community.
Ken Shigematsu was my pastor and mentor for many years. My wife, family, friends, and I really enjoyed listening to him speak. During a season of my life when I had a lot of public speaking engagements I remember asking him for speaking tips. He told me that it takes 3 minutes for an audience to internalize a point. In his talks he would say the point, repeat it a different way, and then tell a few stories to bring the point across. This gave everyone enough time to fully understand what he's saying. This book is structured similarly.
The meat of this book is about spiritual disciplines and practices, but Ken approaches it in a fresh way. He starts by explaining the concept of the dual self, each part with it’s own drive. Striving Adam is the part of us that strives for success. Soulful Adam longs for connection with God and others. While we need Striving Adam’s drive and ambition to energize us to action, we also need Soulful Adam’s longing to build relationship, spiritual connection, and meaning in life.
Our current culture reinforces our Striving Adam, placing value and worth on achievements and productivity. Perhaps that is why most people’s Striving self dominates over their Soulful self. Growing up in the church, this is a message I’ve heard before. But Ken approaches this tension differently, arguing that “the path to true satisfaction is not the loss of our Striving Adam but the marriage of our ambition with the soulful satisfaction of being loved by God.” Being a fairly ambitious person, I was refreshing to hear Ken affirm both the Striving and Soulful parts of our life, stating the need for nurturing both.
This book focuses on nurturing the Soulful part of us, which is easy to neglect in our driven culture. Ken says that while many of us may intellectually agree that God loves us, we often lack the experience of God’s deep love in our lives. It is this experience of God’s love that needs to be nurtured on a regular basis, to allow for the Soulful and Striving parts of us to be balanced.
In fact, Ken states that nurturing our Soulful self will make our Striving self more productive, because we move from working to prove our worth to working to serve others. He shares the example of how his ministry work became more fruitful when he started working less, moving from 70 hours a week as a single, to working less as a married person, to even less after having a son.
At the point in the book I was fully convinced and motivated to nurture my Soulful self. But how? Ken’s answer is to develop rhythms of spiritual practice in your life. What is a spiritual practice? Ken says, “anything that makes us come fully alive is a spiritual practice.”
Ken states a study of people’s temperaments and their preferred spiritual practices, based on four historical Catholic teachers. Depending on your temperament, you will have a different approach to experiencing God.
Here’s a summary of the 4 types:
1) Ignatian (named after Saint Ignatius of Loyola)
40% of North Americans are “very practical, have a strong sense of responsibility and love to serve in tangible ways… they like organization and structure. They also tend to prefer a more consistent, ordered approach to God.”
2) Franciscan (named after St. Francis of Assisi)
38% of the population “connect most deeply with God as they walk in nature, enjoy beautiful art or music, listen to inspiring stories, or savour a cup of coffee and good conversation with a friend. Rather than favouring structure, they tend to prefer a more spontaneous approach to God.”
3) Augustinian (named after St. Augustine)
12% of North Americans are “philosophical and enjoy contemplating the meaning of God and their lives… they represent more than 50% of those who schedule time to get away on spiritual retreats.”
4) Thomistic (named after St. Thomas of Aquinas)
10% of people “love to use their minds as a gateway to God. They relish the study of Scripture, theology, and substantive Christian books. A disproportionately high percentage of pastors, in comparison to the general population, are Thomistic in their spirituality. This helps explain why many pastors frequently stress the importance of Bible study and theological learning as a way for people to grow in their faith.” I laughed reading this, thinking of all the pastors I know that promote the importance of regular Scripture reading.
The rest of the book covers 7 spiritual practices, each with it’s own chapter:
- Meditation – Listening to the Music of Heaven
- Sabbath – The Rhythm of Resistance
- Gratitude – Savouring God’s Gifts
- Simple Abundance – Why Less is More
- Servanthood – Pouring Ourselves Out for Others
- Friendship – The Art of Mutual Encouragement
- Vocation – Discerning Our Sacred Calling
For myself, I have incorporated a few of these spiritual practices into my life as I have found them to be meaningful, in particular Sabbath, Friendship, and Vocation. Reading these chapters affirmed the importance of these practices in my life and energized me to continue practicing them. I found few insights into ways to incorporate these practices into my life I have not tried before, which I’m excited to try.
There are other spiritual practices I have tried but have not found meaningful. I have practically given up on these practices (meditation and servanthood) and only sporadically try them. Reading these chapters helped me understand they “worked” and how they would nurture my Soulful self. Reading the stories were particularly helpful in visualizing how these practices were lives out. After reading the chapters I was motivated to try these practices again.
Other spiritual practices I have not thought about much, like gratitude and simple abundance. Reading these chapters opened my eyes to how these practices could be life-giving.
I loved this book and have even pre-ordered a copy for a dear friend of mine. “Survival Guide for the Soul” would make a great gift and would also be helpful for small groups to read and discuss together. The stories make it easy and engaging to read. But what I appreciated most was that the book stirred my soul, deepening my desire to nurture my Soulful self.
Ken Shigematsu was my pastor and mentor for many years. My wife, family, friends, and I really enjoyed listening to him speak. During a season of my life when I had a lot of public speaking engagements I remember asking him for speaking tips. He told me that it takes 3 minutes for an audience to internalize a point. In his talks he would say the point, repeat it a different way, and then tell a few stories to bring the point across. This gave everyone enough time to fully understand what he's saying. This book is structured similarly.
The meat of this book is about spiritual disciplines and practices, but Ken approaches it in a fresh way. He starts by explaining the concept of the dual self, each part with it’s own drive. Striving Adam is the part of us that strives for success. Soulful Adam longs for connection with God and others. While we need Striving Adam’s drive and ambition to energize us to action, we also need Soulful Adam’s longing to build relationship, spiritual connection, and meaning in life.
Our current culture reinforces our Striving Adam, placing value and worth on achievements and productivity. Perhaps that is why most people’s Striving self dominates over their Soulful self. Growing up in the church, this is a message I’ve heard before. But Ken approaches this tension differently, arguing that “the path to true satisfaction is not the loss of our Striving Adam but the marriage of our ambition with the soulful satisfaction of being loved by God.” Being a fairly ambitious person, I was refreshing to hear Ken affirm both the Striving and Soulful parts of our life, stating the need for nurturing both.
This book focuses on nurturing the Soulful part of us, which is easy to neglect in our driven culture. Ken says that while many of us may intellectually agree that God loves us, we often lack the experience of God’s deep love in our lives. It is this experience of God’s love that needs to be nurtured on a regular basis, to allow for the Soulful and Striving parts of us to be balanced.
In fact, Ken states that nurturing our Soulful self will make our Striving self more productive, because we move from working to prove our worth to working to serve others. He shares the example of how his ministry work became more fruitful when he started working less, moving from 70 hours a week as a single, to working less as a married person, to even less after having a son.
At the point in the book I was fully convinced and motivated to nurture my Soulful self. But how? Ken’s answer is to develop rhythms of spiritual practice in your life. What is a spiritual practice? Ken says, “anything that makes us come fully alive is a spiritual practice.”
Ken states a study of people’s temperaments and their preferred spiritual practices, based on four historical Catholic teachers. Depending on your temperament, you will have a different approach to experiencing God.
Here’s a summary of the 4 types:
1) Ignatian (named after Saint Ignatius of Loyola)
40% of North Americans are “very practical, have a strong sense of responsibility and love to serve in tangible ways… they like organization and structure. They also tend to prefer a more consistent, ordered approach to God.”
2) Franciscan (named after St. Francis of Assisi)
38% of the population “connect most deeply with God as they walk in nature, enjoy beautiful art or music, listen to inspiring stories, or savour a cup of coffee and good conversation with a friend. Rather than favouring structure, they tend to prefer a more spontaneous approach to God.”
3) Augustinian (named after St. Augustine)
12% of North Americans are “philosophical and enjoy contemplating the meaning of God and their lives… they represent more than 50% of those who schedule time to get away on spiritual retreats.”
4) Thomistic (named after St. Thomas of Aquinas)
10% of people “love to use their minds as a gateway to God. They relish the study of Scripture, theology, and substantive Christian books. A disproportionately high percentage of pastors, in comparison to the general population, are Thomistic in their spirituality. This helps explain why many pastors frequently stress the importance of Bible study and theological learning as a way for people to grow in their faith.” I laughed reading this, thinking of all the pastors I know that promote the importance of regular Scripture reading.
The rest of the book covers 7 spiritual practices, each with it’s own chapter:
- Meditation – Listening to the Music of Heaven
- Sabbath – The Rhythm of Resistance
- Gratitude – Savouring God’s Gifts
- Simple Abundance – Why Less is More
- Servanthood – Pouring Ourselves Out for Others
- Friendship – The Art of Mutual Encouragement
- Vocation – Discerning Our Sacred Calling
For myself, I have incorporated a few of these spiritual practices into my life as I have found them to be meaningful, in particular Sabbath, Friendship, and Vocation. Reading these chapters affirmed the importance of these practices in my life and energized me to continue practicing them. I found few insights into ways to incorporate these practices into my life I have not tried before, which I’m excited to try.
There are other spiritual practices I have tried but have not found meaningful. I have practically given up on these practices (meditation and servanthood) and only sporadically try them. Reading these chapters helped me understand they “worked” and how they would nurture my Soulful self. Reading the stories were particularly helpful in visualizing how these practices were lives out. After reading the chapters I was motivated to try these practices again.
Other spiritual practices I have not thought about much, like gratitude and simple abundance. Reading these chapters opened my eyes to how these practices could be life-giving.
I loved this book and have even pre-ordered a copy for a dear friend of mine. “Survival Guide for the Soul” would make a great gift and would also be helpful for small groups to read and discuss together. The stories make it easy and engaging to read. But what I appreciated most was that the book stirred my soul, deepening my desire to nurture my Soulful self.
July 29, 2018
Really enjoyed reading Ken's latest book.
In Survival Guide for the Soul, Ken explains eight practices that can help our life with God to flourish even in the midst of a busy life. Ken's writing style is easy to follow and full of stories that help to explain his major points. I found the chapter on Sabbath a helpful reminder of the ways that spiritual practices can help point us towards Christ. Similar to how I carve out intentional time for my wife and friends so too spiritual practices are intentional time where we seek to meet God and receive His love.
Thank you Ken for the reminder of the ways that spiritual practices can draw us closer to God.
In Survival Guide for the Soul, Ken explains eight practices that can help our life with God to flourish even in the midst of a busy life. Ken's writing style is easy to follow and full of stories that help to explain his major points. I found the chapter on Sabbath a helpful reminder of the ways that spiritual practices can help point us towards Christ. Similar to how I carve out intentional time for my wife and friends so too spiritual practices are intentional time where we seek to meet God and receive His love.
Thank you Ken for the reminder of the ways that spiritual practices can draw us closer to God.
January 10, 2020
Are you a Striving Adam or a Soulful Adam or perhaps a little bit of both? Ken has really tapped into a need in the current Church. These days there is a chaotic, flurried style of living just keeps people in bondage to their manmade idols. This book reaches deep down into the heart of the matter, encouraging believers to slow down and become intentional. I have read so many books about slowing down that just became dust collectors. This book will never collect dust! It is made to be used and shared and shared again. Filled with practical advice, each chapter ends with questions to reflect upon individually as well as in small groups. There are prayer prompts that really speak to the heart of making time to sit in His presence. I have already used it in my counseling practice and I encourage every leader, pastor, and believer to have this book on their shelf. It has helped me become more aware of the importance of a sweet, intimate, unhurried time with God.
April 22, 2023
This book is $. This may be the best starting point read for anyone exploring the life of the soul. Ken begins with his take on "the false self" and then gives us a series of topical chapters on all kinds of sustaining soul rhythms (meditation, gratitude, friendship, etc.). His list includes a few you may not expect in a work like this. His writing is easy to read and his tone is gracious and inviting. I really enjoyed this book!
August 8, 2018
I have felt the pressure to achieve from an early age because of the school system, and now through social media. I was looking forward to reading this book, so that I could discover how to feel like I was enough despite what I achieved. However, I was a bit disappointed that it didn't really speak to me and wasn't able to help me much in this area. I couldn't finish the book because I lost interest.
August 3, 2018
This book is brilliant! It is a gift to believers to help them reorient their lives so they can break free from the rat race and avoid the traps of worldly success. This book will help them get off the treadmill and start living the fullness of life that God had designed for humankind before the Fall- a life of joy, contentment, and complete fulfillment. The author helps believers redefine the definition of success and redefine the definition of true greatness as seen through God's eyes rather than through the world's eyes.
The author speaks about how each one of us has been compromised by the "radioactive devastation of sin" which causes defects in our desires and behaviours. We, like Adam and Eve, have been deceived into thinking that we have control over our lives, and have been lured into believing that we too have the ability to become like God. When we take control of our own lives and usurp that position from God, "our hearts experience distorted desires for pleasure, power, and privilege - which in turn breed shame, fear, and alienation from God, our true selves, and one another. Our disfigured desires cause us to feel dis-ease before God, leading to further distortions of desire that draw us farther away from true ease and happiness."
But Jesus came to the rescue! He redeemed our desires and reordered our lives. He reordered our affections "from ambiguity to integrity, from breadth to depth, from fear to love, from competition to calling, from drivenness to grace, and from seeking approval to accepting our acceptance."
Jesus constantly reminds us of who we are, and more importantly whose we are in Christ. Unfortunately, we keep forgetting this! When we forget our identity in Christ, we immediately fall back into defeated ways of thinking, being, and living and we fall right back to our distorted desires.
So how do we remember our true identity and prevent ourselves from back sliding? By staying close to Jesus. The author proposes multiple spiritual practices that help us create space for God in our lives so that we can stay close to Him and be constantly reminded of who we are, how deeply loved we are, and how we don't need perform and achieve to appear successful in His eyes, or to rely on achievement for our sense of self-worth.
These spiritual practices are designed to awaken us to God's presence and enable us to live life freely as beloved children of God. These practices will help remind us that we are beautiful, blessed, perfect, created in His image, and worthy not because of what we have achieved, but simply because God created us and He loves us just as we are. We don't need to prove our worth (like the world expects us to) and we certainly don't need to earn God's love by doing for Him (also like the world expects us to).
These practices will also help us not only survive but flourish in a culture that pressures us to compete, to achieve, to measure up and to become rich and successful in order to feel worthy. Now there is nothing wrong with achievement or with being rich and successful. It's just that we, as believers, don't need to buy into the world's way of thinking in order to feel successful, worthy or to loved. As the author suggests, success can be defined by other means. These spiritual practices protect the soul. They are truly survival habits for the soul.
The author reminds us that God is with us all the time and is constantly reaching out to us. Unfortunately, most of us remain distracted and unaware. He encourages the reader to engage in these spiritual practices in order to protect the soul.
For non-believers, the author provides a wonderful alternative perspective to life that is so much more pleasing than the worldly perspective. For those who don't know anything about the Christian faith, this will be a refreshing read!
My recommendation is to go buy this book. This book needs to be on everyone's bookshelf!
The author speaks about how each one of us has been compromised by the "radioactive devastation of sin" which causes defects in our desires and behaviours. We, like Adam and Eve, have been deceived into thinking that we have control over our lives, and have been lured into believing that we too have the ability to become like God. When we take control of our own lives and usurp that position from God, "our hearts experience distorted desires for pleasure, power, and privilege - which in turn breed shame, fear, and alienation from God, our true selves, and one another. Our disfigured desires cause us to feel dis-ease before God, leading to further distortions of desire that draw us farther away from true ease and happiness."
But Jesus came to the rescue! He redeemed our desires and reordered our lives. He reordered our affections "from ambiguity to integrity, from breadth to depth, from fear to love, from competition to calling, from drivenness to grace, and from seeking approval to accepting our acceptance."
Jesus constantly reminds us of who we are, and more importantly whose we are in Christ. Unfortunately, we keep forgetting this! When we forget our identity in Christ, we immediately fall back into defeated ways of thinking, being, and living and we fall right back to our distorted desires.
So how do we remember our true identity and prevent ourselves from back sliding? By staying close to Jesus. The author proposes multiple spiritual practices that help us create space for God in our lives so that we can stay close to Him and be constantly reminded of who we are, how deeply loved we are, and how we don't need perform and achieve to appear successful in His eyes, or to rely on achievement for our sense of self-worth.
These spiritual practices are designed to awaken us to God's presence and enable us to live life freely as beloved children of God. These practices will help remind us that we are beautiful, blessed, perfect, created in His image, and worthy not because of what we have achieved, but simply because God created us and He loves us just as we are. We don't need to prove our worth (like the world expects us to) and we certainly don't need to earn God's love by doing for Him (also like the world expects us to).
These practices will also help us not only survive but flourish in a culture that pressures us to compete, to achieve, to measure up and to become rich and successful in order to feel worthy. Now there is nothing wrong with achievement or with being rich and successful. It's just that we, as believers, don't need to buy into the world's way of thinking in order to feel successful, worthy or to loved. As the author suggests, success can be defined by other means. These spiritual practices protect the soul. They are truly survival habits for the soul.
The author reminds us that God is with us all the time and is constantly reaching out to us. Unfortunately, most of us remain distracted and unaware. He encourages the reader to engage in these spiritual practices in order to protect the soul.
For non-believers, the author provides a wonderful alternative perspective to life that is so much more pleasing than the worldly perspective. For those who don't know anything about the Christian faith, this will be a refreshing read!
My recommendation is to go buy this book. This book needs to be on everyone's bookshelf!
September 27, 2018
Kurt Vonnegut included a philosophy joke in one of his novels. It looked like this:
Ken Shigematsu opens Survival Guide for the Soul by distinguishing between doing and being. Drawing on an insight about Genesis 1–2 by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, Shigematsu speaks of “Striving Adam” and “Soulful Adam.” These are not two different Adams, but two different ways of describing tendencies within all people. “One part of us strives to impact the world around us through our work and effort,” he writes. That’s doing. “And another part of us seeks soulful connection through relationships with people and by experiencing ultimate reality.” That’s being.
Ideally, we should keep our striving and our soulfulness together. But in the modern world, which emphasizes achievement, fame and success, Striving Adam has the upper hand, and Soulful Adam gets shoved aside. In response, we need to reemphasize meaning, not so that we can ignore achievement, but so that we can bring our striving back into balance with our soulfulness.
As Christians, Shigematsu argues, soulfulness begins and ends with understanding that we are God’s beloved. “Knowing that we are deeply loved by our Creator frees us to pursue a life of significant, enduring achievement — a life that is not driven by fear and anxiety but one that springs from a deep well of joy and gratitude for the love and grace God has shown us.”
At a surface level, all Christians know that God loves them. It’s written in black and white on the pages of Scripture. It’s painted blood red on the cross of Christ. But that surface knowledge too often doesn’t make it into the deep parts of our souls, where our emotions and passions govern. To move knowledge of God’s love from our heads to our hearts, we need spiritual disciplines.
Shigematsu discusses seven spiritual disciplines — he calls them “survival habits of the soul” — throughout the book. They are meditation, Sabbath, gratitude, simple abundance, servanthood, friendship and vocation. Each of these is a way of tuning out and tuning in. Tuning out worldly voices that tell us we are only as good as what we achieve, and tuning in to God’s voice that tells us we are truly and deeply loved.
“May you live more and more fully into the knowledge that the Creator of the universe cherishes you as a son or daughter,” writes Shigematsu at the book’s end.
That’s a good prayer for every soulful striver.
Book Reviewed
Ken Shigematsu, Survival Guide for the Soul: How to Flourish Spiritually in a World That Pressures Us to Achieve (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018).
P.S. If my review helped you form an impression of the book, please vote "Helpful" on my Amazon.com review page.
P.P.S. This review is cross-posted from InfluenceMagazine.com with permission.
“To be is to do.” — Socrates
“To do is to be.” — Jean-Paul Sartre
“Do be do be do.” — Frank Sinatra
Ken Shigematsu opens Survival Guide for the Soul by distinguishing between doing and being. Drawing on an insight about Genesis 1–2 by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, Shigematsu speaks of “Striving Adam” and “Soulful Adam.” These are not two different Adams, but two different ways of describing tendencies within all people. “One part of us strives to impact the world around us through our work and effort,” he writes. That’s doing. “And another part of us seeks soulful connection through relationships with people and by experiencing ultimate reality.” That’s being.
Ideally, we should keep our striving and our soulfulness together. But in the modern world, which emphasizes achievement, fame and success, Striving Adam has the upper hand, and Soulful Adam gets shoved aside. In response, we need to reemphasize meaning, not so that we can ignore achievement, but so that we can bring our striving back into balance with our soulfulness.
As Christians, Shigematsu argues, soulfulness begins and ends with understanding that we are God’s beloved. “Knowing that we are deeply loved by our Creator frees us to pursue a life of significant, enduring achievement — a life that is not driven by fear and anxiety but one that springs from a deep well of joy and gratitude for the love and grace God has shown us.”
At a surface level, all Christians know that God loves them. It’s written in black and white on the pages of Scripture. It’s painted blood red on the cross of Christ. But that surface knowledge too often doesn’t make it into the deep parts of our souls, where our emotions and passions govern. To move knowledge of God’s love from our heads to our hearts, we need spiritual disciplines.
Shigematsu discusses seven spiritual disciplines — he calls them “survival habits of the soul” — throughout the book. They are meditation, Sabbath, gratitude, simple abundance, servanthood, friendship and vocation. Each of these is a way of tuning out and tuning in. Tuning out worldly voices that tell us we are only as good as what we achieve, and tuning in to God’s voice that tells us we are truly and deeply loved.
“May you live more and more fully into the knowledge that the Creator of the universe cherishes you as a son or daughter,” writes Shigematsu at the book’s end.
That’s a good prayer for every soulful striver.
Book Reviewed
Ken Shigematsu, Survival Guide for the Soul: How to Flourish Spiritually in a World That Pressures Us to Achieve (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018).
P.S. If my review helped you form an impression of the book, please vote "Helpful" on my Amazon.com review page.
P.P.S. This review is cross-posted from InfluenceMagazine.com with permission.
August 16, 2018
Shigematsu wrote “Survival Guide for the Soul” at the time when he realized how much weight he had placed on his striving ambitions, till a point he lost the balance of his life. The book talks about balancing the two major aspects of humanity: an ambition side (Shigematsu calls it the “Striving Adam”) and a longing side (Shigematsu calls it the “Soulful Adam”). In order to live a fruitful and balanced life, Shigematsu invites readers to walk towards a harmony between the Striving Adam and the Soulful Adam.
Moreover, Shigematsu reminds readers to “live out of a strong sense of self-identity rooted in a deep knowledge of God’s love and acceptance.” He says, “Our fundamental problem is not having too strong a sense of our self but [it is the] too weak a sense of self.”
I totally agreed with what he says. I often find myself falls into the temptation of feeling rejected easily, rooted in my deep sense of ‘not good enough’ from my childhood experiences.
The majority portion of the book guides readers to the how question, how to transform the internal message of “[I am] stupid, mistake, fraud, not enough, worthless, ugly and loser” to the Words of truth about us, “[I am] Beloved, Beautiful, Blessed.”
Shigematsu, with a PhD in Spiritual Formation, humbly leads readers to several spiritual exercises in his book, in order to help readers to attune to God’s presence. He says, “we easily forget that we are deeply loved by our Maker. A rhythm of spiritual practices helps us remember to whom we belong and by whom we loved.” He quotes Richard Foster verse, “The [spiritual] disciplines allows us to place ourselves before God so He can transform us.” Therefore, the purpose of practicing spiritual disciplines, is not to ask God to love us more, but is to remind us how much God loves us.
Shigematsu introduces the following spiritual disciplines in Part 2 of his book: Meditation, Sabbath, Gratitude, Simple Abundance, Servanthood, Friendship, Vocation, and Redefining Greatness.
He quotes an interesting study on people with different temperaments and their preferred spiritual practices. He says 40 percent of believers in North America are Ignatian type in their spiritual practices, 38 percent are Franciscan type, 12 percent are Augustinian type, and 10 percent are Thomistic type (I will let you explore the book and find out what does each type mean). In addition, he says, believers connect to God in various ways according to the different seasons of their lives (I personally find it very true to me). He encourages readers to give enough time to try out the different spiritual practices before giving up a particular one.
Last but not least, I really agree with him that, in times of stress, it’s easy for us to use old addictive habits to numb out our pain or release us from distress. Having a rhythm of spiritual practices helps us to transform our old selves into what God prepares for us to be, to have a fruitful and rich life.
Moreover, Shigematsu reminds readers to “live out of a strong sense of self-identity rooted in a deep knowledge of God’s love and acceptance.” He says, “Our fundamental problem is not having too strong a sense of our self but [it is the] too weak a sense of self.”
I totally agreed with what he says. I often find myself falls into the temptation of feeling rejected easily, rooted in my deep sense of ‘not good enough’ from my childhood experiences.
The majority portion of the book guides readers to the how question, how to transform the internal message of “[I am] stupid, mistake, fraud, not enough, worthless, ugly and loser” to the Words of truth about us, “[I am] Beloved, Beautiful, Blessed.”
Shigematsu, with a PhD in Spiritual Formation, humbly leads readers to several spiritual exercises in his book, in order to help readers to attune to God’s presence. He says, “we easily forget that we are deeply loved by our Maker. A rhythm of spiritual practices helps us remember to whom we belong and by whom we loved.” He quotes Richard Foster verse, “The [spiritual] disciplines allows us to place ourselves before God so He can transform us.” Therefore, the purpose of practicing spiritual disciplines, is not to ask God to love us more, but is to remind us how much God loves us.
Shigematsu introduces the following spiritual disciplines in Part 2 of his book: Meditation, Sabbath, Gratitude, Simple Abundance, Servanthood, Friendship, Vocation, and Redefining Greatness.
He quotes an interesting study on people with different temperaments and their preferred spiritual practices. He says 40 percent of believers in North America are Ignatian type in their spiritual practices, 38 percent are Franciscan type, 12 percent are Augustinian type, and 10 percent are Thomistic type (I will let you explore the book and find out what does each type mean). In addition, he says, believers connect to God in various ways according to the different seasons of their lives (I personally find it very true to me). He encourages readers to give enough time to try out the different spiritual practices before giving up a particular one.
Last but not least, I really agree with him that, in times of stress, it’s easy for us to use old addictive habits to numb out our pain or release us from distress. Having a rhythm of spiritual practices helps us to transform our old selves into what God prepares for us to be, to have a fruitful and rich life.
August 17, 2018
God’s Love Rediscovered: A review of "Survival Guide for the Soul" by Ken Shigematsu
The book almost immediately struck a raw nerve in me. Within the first 2 chapters, Ken brings to the surface this ongoing duel between what he calls “my striving self’ and “my soulful self.”
To put things in context, I am a wife, mother of 2, and a career person putting in at least 60 hours of work per week. Like most people in my situation, I engage in a tug-of-war of priorities that Ken so vividly describes in his book. For example, sending that one last work email and consequently buying take-out versus dropping everything by 5pm to prepare a home-cooked meal and having enough family time. Almost always, I find that it is my “striving self” that wins the tug-of-war. And why is that?
Ken goes on to explain the reasons why I so easily give in to my striving self. My striving self gets rewarded materially and psychologically. This satisfies my deep need for achievement and overrides any negative feelings of “not enoughness.”
Ken then beautifully describes how the reality of God’s love could help me overcome my feelings of inadequacy and self-rejection that quite often drive my striving self over the cliff. Certainly, I have known and declared of God’s love for me even as a child. But this book made me realize that I have not embraced nor appropriated God’s love for me enough in a way that it could impact my priorities – even something as practical as whether I should send that one last work email or not.
The next chapters delve into spiritual practices that Ken calls “the survival habits of the soul.” These are meditation, taking the Sabbath, being grateful, living simply, servanthood, friendship, and discerning our vocation. Through the example of Jesus in Scripture and stories of real people, Ken convincingly shows how each spiritual practice brings us closer to the experiential reality of God’s love and how this love could be meaningfully channeled towards our neighbors. Ken brings home the point that as we allow God’s love to permeate our whole being, our soulful selves are cultivated to bring out the best in our striving selves.
So if you are like me who may have at one point been tempted to raise the white flag to this notion of “work-life balance,” this could be the book for you. You will be pleasantly surprised to realize that God’s love, like a treasure hiding in plain sight, could be rediscovered by you in a way that will give you the freedom to live meaningfully and productively in this competitive world.
The book almost immediately struck a raw nerve in me. Within the first 2 chapters, Ken brings to the surface this ongoing duel between what he calls “my striving self’ and “my soulful self.”
To put things in context, I am a wife, mother of 2, and a career person putting in at least 60 hours of work per week. Like most people in my situation, I engage in a tug-of-war of priorities that Ken so vividly describes in his book. For example, sending that one last work email and consequently buying take-out versus dropping everything by 5pm to prepare a home-cooked meal and having enough family time. Almost always, I find that it is my “striving self” that wins the tug-of-war. And why is that?
Ken goes on to explain the reasons why I so easily give in to my striving self. My striving self gets rewarded materially and psychologically. This satisfies my deep need for achievement and overrides any negative feelings of “not enoughness.”
Ken then beautifully describes how the reality of God’s love could help me overcome my feelings of inadequacy and self-rejection that quite often drive my striving self over the cliff. Certainly, I have known and declared of God’s love for me even as a child. But this book made me realize that I have not embraced nor appropriated God’s love for me enough in a way that it could impact my priorities – even something as practical as whether I should send that one last work email or not.
The next chapters delve into spiritual practices that Ken calls “the survival habits of the soul.” These are meditation, taking the Sabbath, being grateful, living simply, servanthood, friendship, and discerning our vocation. Through the example of Jesus in Scripture and stories of real people, Ken convincingly shows how each spiritual practice brings us closer to the experiential reality of God’s love and how this love could be meaningfully channeled towards our neighbors. Ken brings home the point that as we allow God’s love to permeate our whole being, our soulful selves are cultivated to bring out the best in our striving selves.
So if you are like me who may have at one point been tempted to raise the white flag to this notion of “work-life balance,” this could be the book for you. You will be pleasantly surprised to realize that God’s love, like a treasure hiding in plain sight, could be rediscovered by you in a way that will give you the freedom to live meaningfully and productively in this competitive world.
August 15, 2018
Contrary to what the title might suggest, this isn't a step-by-step guide to achieving your "best spiritual self" (thank heavens!), but reads more like a personal and heartfelt sharing, with loads of practical suggestions peppered throughout.
One of the key concepts in the book is the notion that we all have a Striving Adam and a Soulful Adam within us. The Striving Adam wants to be productive and successful, while the Soulful Adam wants real, authentic connection and meaning in life.
Shigematsu goes on to talk about how these two opposing aspects of our inner selves can find harmony and balance through spiritual practices like meditation, keeping the Sabbath, practicing gratitude and having a servant heart.
All of this resonated with me. I've spent most of my waking hours working, to the point that everything else - my health, relationships and friendships - fell by the wayside. But I've learned to stop striving for external affirmation, and to stop depending on my own strength. I've learned that work is essential and necessary, but it shouldn't define who we are. I've also started to practice meditation through silent, contemplative prayer, like Shigematsu suggests, and it helps to make me feel less flustered and stressed when I think of what I need to do for the day ahead.
As a member of Tenth Church in Vancouver, where Shigematsu serves as senior pastor, I appreciate the candour and self-deprecating humour in his sermons. This book has the same approach and tone, which I enjoyed. I also liked that every chapter in the book had a page featuring questions for reflection and discussion as well as a closing prayer - perfect for a life group study or devotions with your significant other!
One of the key concepts in the book is the notion that we all have a Striving Adam and a Soulful Adam within us. The Striving Adam wants to be productive and successful, while the Soulful Adam wants real, authentic connection and meaning in life.
Shigematsu goes on to talk about how these two opposing aspects of our inner selves can find harmony and balance through spiritual practices like meditation, keeping the Sabbath, practicing gratitude and having a servant heart.
All of this resonated with me. I've spent most of my waking hours working, to the point that everything else - my health, relationships and friendships - fell by the wayside. But I've learned to stop striving for external affirmation, and to stop depending on my own strength. I've learned that work is essential and necessary, but it shouldn't define who we are. I've also started to practice meditation through silent, contemplative prayer, like Shigematsu suggests, and it helps to make me feel less flustered and stressed when I think of what I need to do for the day ahead.
As a member of Tenth Church in Vancouver, where Shigematsu serves as senior pastor, I appreciate the candour and self-deprecating humour in his sermons. This book has the same approach and tone, which I enjoyed. I also liked that every chapter in the book had a page featuring questions for reflection and discussion as well as a closing prayer - perfect for a life group study or devotions with your significant other!
April 17, 2023
Spiritual practices are designed to reduce the monumental illusion that God is absent. p81
I find the best way to begin the day is to remember that God is God and I am not. p80
Ken Shigematsu is a sensitive man alert to the insidious effects of "a world that pressures us to acheive." He notes how, along the way to 'success', many of us have felt obligated to compromise our values. A vast majority might even admit to being ethically challenged by the status quo.
In fact, a multitude of spiritually disorientated and disillusioned people are polarizing more and finding less to comfort them. Me too has given way to Me First as the prevailing wisdom. How can I love my neighbours when I don't trust them?
Our ambition to conquer, create, and control usually wins out over our hunger to experience deep relationships with people....p26
Alas, for all his insight, KS offers us rather too insistently the Christian solution, which may not work for a lot of people nor be that helpful in expanding his audience. That's too bad, because there is a lot to ponder here and I'm glad I persisted even after I realized his bias.
I love his relaxed and tolerant attitude and his approach to meditation.
We begin our days at rest....We work from a place of rest, rather than desperately needing rest from our work. p98
It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful. p112
quoting Brother David Stendl-Rast
The gods of the ancient world were capricious, vindictive, and self-serving, but....God serves. p149
Anything that makes us come fully alive is a spiritual practice. p103
I find the best way to begin the day is to remember that God is God and I am not. p80
Ken Shigematsu is a sensitive man alert to the insidious effects of "a world that pressures us to acheive." He notes how, along the way to 'success', many of us have felt obligated to compromise our values. A vast majority might even admit to being ethically challenged by the status quo.
In fact, a multitude of spiritually disorientated and disillusioned people are polarizing more and finding less to comfort them. Me too has given way to Me First as the prevailing wisdom. How can I love my neighbours when I don't trust them?
Our ambition to conquer, create, and control usually wins out over our hunger to experience deep relationships with people....p26
Alas, for all his insight, KS offers us rather too insistently the Christian solution, which may not work for a lot of people nor be that helpful in expanding his audience. That's too bad, because there is a lot to ponder here and I'm glad I persisted even after I realized his bias.
I love his relaxed and tolerant attitude and his approach to meditation.
We begin our days at rest....We work from a place of rest, rather than desperately needing rest from our work. p98
It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful. p112
quoting Brother David Stendl-Rast
The gods of the ancient world were capricious, vindictive, and self-serving, but....God serves. p149
Anything that makes us come fully alive is a spiritual practice. p103
August 3, 2018
At some point in life, it seems like many of us wonder if we are becoming too consumed with the desire to lead the outwardly "successful life" measured by accomplishments and achievements. And in doing so, are we neglecting our true, inner selves and spiritual growth? Reading Pastor Ken Shigematsu's new book has helped me to make sense of this dichotomy which exists within us all, and to realize that both sides are a part of who God has made us to be. Ideally, we should strive to find a balance between the two.
In his new book, Pastor Ken outlines 8 practices designed to help us get back in tune with our spiritual life with God, while living in the midst of our busy lives. While some of these may speak to you more than others, all of them have merit and are worth thinking about and giving a try.
As with Pastor Ken's previous book, he draws from a wide range of sources, such as the Bible, other writers (both Christian and secular), scientific studies and research, pop culture, and personal stories from his own experiences and those of colleagues and friends. It is these personal stories which speak to me the most, as things become more concrete to me when they are attached to actual people.
We all have our own stories, thoughts, and experiences to share. I would encourage you all to share yours after reading this book while recommending it to others.
In his new book, Pastor Ken outlines 8 practices designed to help us get back in tune with our spiritual life with God, while living in the midst of our busy lives. While some of these may speak to you more than others, all of them have merit and are worth thinking about and giving a try.
As with Pastor Ken's previous book, he draws from a wide range of sources, such as the Bible, other writers (both Christian and secular), scientific studies and research, pop culture, and personal stories from his own experiences and those of colleagues and friends. It is these personal stories which speak to me the most, as things become more concrete to me when they are attached to actual people.
We all have our own stories, thoughts, and experiences to share. I would encourage you all to share yours after reading this book while recommending it to others.
January 7, 2022
An easy read, but a deep and nourishing challenge for the soul. Ken Shigematsu's answer to the question, "How can I follow Christ in a world that pressures me to succeed?" is unique in its simplicity, but deep in application, for it requires much courage to enact that baby steps that Ken recommends. It sounds strange to think of this book as a spiritual tool-kit (after all, walking with God is such a fluid and dynamic thing), but Ken's writing really empowers the average Christian to overcome in a pressure-filled society. Ken stays with the reader along the way, acting as a tour guide, a friend, a teacher and a sage, peppering the book with humour and storytelling. From teasing out the definition of true success to outlining innovative and joyful ways to embrace that definition, Ken skilfully takes his reader through tricky terrain. Biographical and scientific anecdotes cross paths with Ken's cultural perspective as a Japanese Canadian writer, and all come together to illuminate Scripture and encourage the whole person, from the inside out. The reader who is familiar with Ken's work would do well to stick with him to the end, as the final chapters especially offer both a delightful variation to and a fuller unspooling of the spiritual disciplines that he introduced in his first book, God in My Everything.
January 3, 2023
I appreciated this book a lot. Shigematsu has improved as a writer over God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God. This book is gentle, thoughtful, nuanced, and grounded. The stories, of which there are many, are usually helpful. The reflection questions (I often roll my eyes over reflection questions) were useful to me more often than not. And I got a more vivid sense of how Jesus would have behaved were he to walk around in Canada in the 2020s.
You could read this book and interpret parts of it as name-dropping or virtue-signalling, but imo, although Shigematsu talks about admirable things he has done and the relationships he has with well-known people, he somehow avoids coming off as prideful or insecure. I finished the book feeling inspired to grow, not shamed into growing or impressed by Shigematsu's unattainable greatness, you know?
A good springboard to thinking about who I want to be and how I want to grow during a new year.
You could read this book and interpret parts of it as name-dropping or virtue-signalling, but imo, although Shigematsu talks about admirable things he has done and the relationships he has with well-known people, he somehow avoids coming off as prideful or insecure. I finished the book feeling inspired to grow, not shamed into growing or impressed by Shigematsu's unattainable greatness, you know?
A good springboard to thinking about who I want to be and how I want to grow during a new year.
September 19, 2023
A fantastic follow up to Shigematsu's God In My Everything. Diving deeper into some of the practices he uses to build the trellis of a rule of life--and adding some more in the process--Shigematsu not only unfolds a way of living practice that draws us closer to God and allows us to engage the world, but to lean into our belovedness as sons and daughters of a great and loving Father. Recognizing and helping to bridge the gap of our Striving Adam and Soulful Adam (Genesis language calling out our innate desire to do something in the world and our desire to be loved and known) Shigematsu helps to usher in an understanding of our very basic human nature and how we are dynamic beings seeking wholeness in this life and how we can truly find that in complete surrender to God the Father and acceptance on us as we pursue the calling in our life. As he quotes CS Lewis, "Joy is the serious business of heaven." May you find the joy of the Father in who you are and what you contribute to the world as you further your practice of Jesus' way and becoming a person of Love (formed in Christlikeness) for the hope of the world.
March 13, 2019
This book has a lot of strengths that are not immediately apparent. If you're looking for a book on spiritual disciplines/practices, I'd recommend many of the books that Ken refers to. He's obviously read widely, but his book is more of an accessible sampling of these topics.
What Ken uniquely offers is a cultural critique of the drivenness of urban and immigrant culture, which he refers to as "striving Adam." His book is beautifully founded on the Gospel, and he encourages people to live their lives as an overflow of what they receive, in light of what God has done for them. This frees us from the pressures of the world.
Ken also offers various stories to illustrate his points. Many are personal and interesting, some are self-deprecating, but for some I wonder if they sound like bragging. I think I'd have to speak in person to know the answer. There's a fine line between setting an example and bragging, I guess, and I imagine that's a hard line to navigate as a preacher and writer. So I felt a bit of discomfort, but will assume the best!
What Ken uniquely offers is a cultural critique of the drivenness of urban and immigrant culture, which he refers to as "striving Adam." His book is beautifully founded on the Gospel, and he encourages people to live their lives as an overflow of what they receive, in light of what God has done for them. This frees us from the pressures of the world.
Ken also offers various stories to illustrate his points. Many are personal and interesting, some are self-deprecating, but for some I wonder if they sound like bragging. I think I'd have to speak in person to know the answer. There's a fine line between setting an example and bragging, I guess, and I imagine that's a hard line to navigate as a preacher and writer. So I felt a bit of discomfort, but will assume the best!
August 25, 2018
I'm sure we can all agree that living in the 21st century can be pretty stressful, trying to keep up with the Joneses, trying to live up to societal expectations, trying to reach "success".
This book helps us recall that if we're grounded by the knowledge that we are deeply loved by God, with no need to prove ourselves worthy to the world, then we are released from this fear & worry.
The style of writing was easy to read, with many examples provided from the Author's life or from those of historical figures to help provide mental illustrations.
If you happen to be a fan of David Brooks' writings, this book reminded me of "The Road To Character" with the Adam I & Adam II references and examples to illustrate how one can lead a fulfilling life. However, Survival Guide for the Soul is a more spiritual read; although I'm sure that readers from any walk of life will find that this book provides meaningful guidance.
I would recommend reading this!
This book helps us recall that if we're grounded by the knowledge that we are deeply loved by God, with no need to prove ourselves worthy to the world, then we are released from this fear & worry.
The style of writing was easy to read, with many examples provided from the Author's life or from those of historical figures to help provide mental illustrations.
If you happen to be a fan of David Brooks' writings, this book reminded me of "The Road To Character" with the Adam I & Adam II references and examples to illustrate how one can lead a fulfilling life. However, Survival Guide for the Soul is a more spiritual read; although I'm sure that readers from any walk of life will find that this book provides meaningful guidance.
I would recommend reading this!
August 1, 2018
This book touched an area of my life that really needed healing. I am continually seeking affirmation through work instead of resting in my faith and knowing that I am fulfilled by God’s love. So how do I do that? Through investing in a relationship with Jesus. This book offers significant guidance and insight on why and how to make that investment. I found all of the information very helpful and many spiritual rhythms I already practice were affirmed. I really appreciated the author’s honesty and testimony about his own struggle with pressure to achieve. The reflection questions and prayer prompts at the end of each chapter were powerful and very helpful in digesting the information I had just read. I encourage all type a personalities to read this book and find rest in knowing the love of Jesus.
August 16, 2018
Ken Shigematsu’s latest book “Survival Guide for the Soul” will quench your soul. He provides everyday tools on how to navigate through life’s struggles of comparison, pursuit of success, and insecurities. It will bring clarity in a time of confusion and peace in a time of uncertainty.
As you read this book, I encourage you to “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). Each chapter you incorporate into your life will build a foundation for your soul and guide you in your vocation. This book will help you to integrate a 24-hr rest period once a week, wind down each day with a few simple questions, and exercise gratitude in times of stress.
This book is a wonderful companion to his first (and best selling) book “God in My Everything : How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God”.
As you read this book, I encourage you to “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). Each chapter you incorporate into your life will build a foundation for your soul and guide you in your vocation. This book will help you to integrate a 24-hr rest period once a week, wind down each day with a few simple questions, and exercise gratitude in times of stress.
This book is a wonderful companion to his first (and best selling) book “God in My Everything : How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God”.
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