Book Review: The Person Called You

It was the final part of the subtitle of this book which grabbed my attention - The Person Called You: Why You're Here, Why You Matter & What You Should Do With Your Life. I've been hovering around this question for so long now, I begin to despair that I will ever really know what I should do with the rest of my life. Somehow, I just want the perfect job to jump into my lap without really doing the hard work of going out and making my future happen. Laziness, I know.

As helpful as this book was, I would probably gain so much more if I went through the process he provides at the end of the book (tasks to help you identify your "giftedness"). It isn't that I don't have the time to do that. I merely think I'm already pretty tuned in to my giftedness. The hard part for me is knowing where exactly to use that giftedness and how to tap into a satisfying job while still allowing time for my writing (which is a big part of my giftedness, I believe). Moreover, it is clear that motivation is an issue for me. (My husband wants me to take a job as an instructional aide at the local primary school, a job I used to really enjoy back when we lived in DeKalb. I'm just not sure that is what I want to do, especially when it would require a full-time commitment. My thought is to go back and train to become a school librarian - this would allow contact with students, interaction with faculty, and immersion into some of my favorite things, books and recommendations of books. However, I'm kind of stalled out in thinking about any of it, focusing more on November, when I will write another novel, this time perhaps a women's novel.)

So, what is this "giftedness" the author keeps mentioning. Well, it is the sum of what makes you distinctive. It is the little things which bring you pleasure. The times in life where you are firing on all cylinders. The tasks which energize you. The methods by which you function best. Giftedness is what makes you ... well, you!

Bill Hendricks has made his life work the goal of assisting people in defining why they're here and what they were made to do. He is gifted in this endeavor. He gains great pleasure when he succeeds in that task. Thus, a whole book devoted to helping people discern where they fit and what they should be pursuing (not for financial gain, mind you, but in order to be living out the calling which our unique giftedness has prepared us for).

If you are looking for some instruction on determining a direction for your life, this is a fairly decent Christian book for pursuing such a goal (it is not a neutral book ... Christian concepts hold up the framework of his purpose in pursuing this very important subject). It is certainly a different method than the standard personality or aptitude tests which people often turn to. Relying on reflection over the important stories of your life, the author encourages you to isolate and identify the key attributes which you want to tap into in your pursued line of work. Your life stories contain the key to where you should be headed and what you should be doing with your life. This book also provides a great pep talk if you are wondering if your life really matters or makes a difference.