Work of abundance

While traditional job hunting many a times has focused on one's strengths, Rick Jarow comes across more effectively with a compelling case for the same. Mixing the need to find one's work as part of life, with philosophy in general, and Chakras (energy centers within the human body) in particular is the mark of true abundance (read on).

As every one is part of the same inifinite Self, one must have some strengths hidden. This strength or abundance, as Rick puts it, makes one feel most secure and at peace. One's work should be a result of this abundance. Creating a career based on one's wants and needs comes out of scarcity and hence is fundamentally a insecure and ever-debilitating reason. Due to one's such abundance, one's energy naturally aligns with such a cause and leads to most satisfaction.

Each of the seven main chakras in a human body is a seat for some pyschological aspect. The author explains how to tap into these centers to identify one's purpose, and hence one's work in life. Many excercise, including meditation techniques provide such an opportunity. The idea that one's work is (also) an extension of one's lineage i.e., arising out of what his/her ancestors were doing provides a deep reason to reflect on. Writing about a parent's work/life is one such excercise that provides insights as to one's cause.

Reading such a book in one-go is not an option at all. Rick himself suggests some of the excercise are open-ended as far as time is concerned. But, am I glad to have found such a book! This book drove unto me the concept of work as a life and not as a career much better than any other so far. It is a must read for anyone wanting to decide what his/her career should be.

Untitled, nyah.

I bought this book with scepticism. I thought it would be really tacky. I mean, career books are not exactly high literature, and one which incorporates the chakras sounded even worse than usual.

So I was amazed, as I read it, to find that this book is exceedingly well written. Although Jarow is a new-ager, he has discriminating taste, considerable insight, and he's just a great writer. Just about every paragraph in the book is enjoyable to read, and presents useful information, if not a rare challenge. A previous reviewer said that this book is not that substantial. He or she certainly has a point--the book largely presents challenges and guidance for inner work. It doesn't make decisions for you, recommend practical plans of action, or tell you how to find a job. But it's written for people who relate to spiritual, immaterial, idealistic things, and it provides a demanding series of suggestions, questions, and meditations to galvanize such people into joining their inner and outer worlds. If you already relate to the world primarily in practical ways, this book would probably be worthless to you. The author does suggest, however, reading "What Color Is Your Parachute" (rather than plagurizing from it) and it might be a great idea to use them together.

Personally, I was thrilled to find that the author seems to be talking about me nearly all the time. This paragraph phrased the dilemma well: "People would tell me about their remarkable past lives as pharaohs and queens, but these same people were still working behind the counter at Macy's. What was wrong? Why was it that spiritual people seemed to be chronically nonfunctional? Why was it that not long after having some ecstatic vision or transcendant experience, I would find the same person bogged down in the same morass that they had been in before their revelation? Clearly, there was a problem" (p 3). He also puts his work in a political context reministcent of the Situationists and others: "From Karl Marx to Hazel Henderson, persuasive voices argue that the transformation of the workplace is a necssary prerequisite for human freedom" (p 5). I would particularly recommend this book to people who would like to return to their lives as pharaohs and queens, but also to those who struggle with apathy, confusion, or disatisfaction, and can handle some new-ageisms.

Revise your notion of "career"

This book deserves far more publicity and attention. While many authors toss off New Age mumbo-jumbo, Rick has actually studied Eastern religion and has made his own pilgrimage to the East. He writes from life, experience and heart. Rick is the Real Deal.

Although the book is organized around the chakras, Rick introduces many creative and insightful ideas. For example, no other career counselor talks about family history as a career influence.

I own the tapes as well as the book and periodically listen during drives. They're as current as the day I bought them, several years ago.