Aspirations of Greatness: Mapping the Mid-Life Leaders Reconnection to Self and Soul [Hardcover]

Jim Warner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2002

ASPIRATIONS of Greatness
Mapping the Midlife Leader's Reconnection to Self and Soul

We often assume that money and success bring fulfillment. But achievement, especially in business, has its costs. Read the statements below and see if they apply to you:
* I refuse to live according to other people's values
* I'm eager to get in touch with my true talents-and use them
* I want to dedicate my life to the goals that really matter to me
* I'm ready for a genuine spiritual journey
* I want to feel closer to my spouse and loved ones
* I'm ready for a big change in my life


If you found yourself nodding in agreement while reading any of the above lines, then Aspirations of Greatness can help you. Backed by research from in-depth interviews and retreats with 500 CEOs, its principles apply to anyone who has attained outward success but remains unfulfilled.

The author presents the true stories of eight "successful" leaders in business and other fields as they face their disillusionment and embark on a journey toward a more rewarding life. These stories of individual growth and transformation will personalize and illuminate your inner journey to "aliveness" and fulfillment. The proven strategies in this book will guide you toward inner peace and joy; healthier, more intimate relationships with your loved ones; and a passionate reconnection with the ultimate purpose of your life.

"Aspirations of Greatness will make a midlife crisis a small bump in the road. It will help you move from disillusionment to destiny in a way that makes aging a delight."
-Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and Leadership by the Book

"Aspirations of Greatness beautifully explains how the 'upward' path toward greatness must first go 'downward' through the soul."
-Laurie Beth Jones, author of Jesus, CEO; The Path; and Jesus, Inc.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Are You Living the Illusion of Success?

Many successful people find themselves rudderless and joyless once they reach midlife. Their race for success–often defined as the accumulation of wealth and power–has dulled their sense of purpose. It’s undermined their happiness and crippled their relationships with their families.

The passion of youth exhausted, many midlife achievers run their lives on a treadmill of activity, haunted by unresolved baggage from their past, constantly trying to outpace their fears. Often having no friends or mentors to guide them, many seek to escape rather than face their issues about money, identity, sexuality, and love. Most are open to spiritual connection, but don’t know how or where to begin. They feel alone and scared.

Jim Warner writes with the authority of one who has been there and worked his way through to clarity and a rediscovery of self and purpose. In Aspirations of Greatness, he shares the inspiring life stories of eight high-profile people. These business and professional leaders typify the disillusionment of people in midlife who appear to "have it all," yet yearn for purpose, connection, inner peace–along with a renewed energy and "aliveness." Like many others, they have attained affluence and power, but confess to little sense of mission or meaning in their lives. These eight stories, backed by research conducted by Warner in intimate retreat settings with hundreds of other "successful" midlife leaders, amplify the piercing questions of people in midlife: Who am I outside of my vocation? What is my destiny? What is the role of money in my life? How do I achieve greater intimacy and communion with my spouse, family, friends, and God?

Warner introduces several models for navigating the treacherous rapids of midlife, with principles that apply to anyone who feels lost, lonely, or unloved. His book is a blueprint for positive change and offers uplifting, practical guidelines for living out your innate genius with gratitude, wisdom, and serenity.

"Jim Warner brings together in one volume a treasure of wisdom, guidance, and just helpful information for the contemporary man and woman. He shows a commonsense balance between spirituality, psychology, and the cultural quandary of modern leaders. He knows the traps and he points the way through–because he has been there himself. Let Jim’s own journey and his own greatness rub off on you! It will."
–Richard Rohr, OFM, author of Everything Belongs and Quest for the Grail

From the Back Cover

ASPIRATIONS of Greatness
Mapping the Midlife Leader’s Reconnection to Self and Soul

We often assume that money and success bring fulfillment. But achievement, especially in business, has its costs. Read the statements below and see if they apply to you:

• I refuse to live according to other people’s values
• I’m eager to get in touch with my true talents–and use them
• I want to dedicate my life to the goals that really matter to me
• I’m ready for a genuine spiritual journey
• I want to feel closer to my spouse and loved ones
• I’m ready for a big change in my life

If you found yourself nodding in agreement while reading any of the above lines, then Aspirations of Greatness can help you. Backed by research from in-depth interviews and retreats with 500 CEOs, its principles apply to anyone who has attained outward success but remains unfulfilled.

The author presents the true stories of eight "successful" leaders in business and other fields as they face their disillusionment and embark on a journey toward a more rewarding life. These stories of individual growth and transformation will personalize and illuminate your inner journey to "aliveness" and fulfillment. The proven strategies in this book will guide you toward inner peace and joy; healthier, more intimate relationships with your loved ones; and a passionate reconnection with the ultimate purpose of your life.

"Aspirations of Greatness will make a midlife crisis a small bump in the road. It will help you move from disillusionment to destiny in a way that makes aging a delight."
–Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Leadership by the Book

"Aspirations of Greatness beautifully explains how the ‘upward’ path toward greatness must first go ‘downward’ through the soul."
–Laurie Beth Jones, author of Jesus, CEO; The Path; and Jesus, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471443980
• ISBN-13: 978-0471443988
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming, February 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Aspirations of Greatness: Mapping the Mid-Life Leaders Reconnection to Self and Soul (Hardcover)

Jim Warner and the heros in his book speak from experience as leaders and executives. I have been a CEO for over 12 years and felt Warner had a direct vision into my life. Aspirations of Greatness is not just a summary of mid-life challenges of executives, it provides principles and models on how to find meaning and happiness. This is not just theoretical, new age cure-alls but concrete, pragmatic ways that result in nothing short of a transformation of your life - this book changed the lens I use to see the world and moved me from a money-centered, insecure place to a self-accepting and service place from which I am a more effective leader, friend, father and husband. Leaders will relate to the stories and issues presented by not be shamed or frustrated by them. There is much more to life then making money and Warner walks you through the transformational steps to get there. You're life will never be the same.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aspirations of Greatness. Mapping the Mid - Life Leaders Rec, February 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Aspirations of Greatness: Mapping the Mid-Life Leaders Reconnection to Self and Soul (Hardcover)

Jim Warner's approach to this important, yet seldom discussed phase, in a leader's journey is both unique and extremely beneficial to those who have experienced the feeling of "hollowness" that often accompanies success and the attendant trappings of wealth, expectations and a separation from self. His message of moving "inward" prior to moving "onward" will be highly valuable to anyone experienceing or contemplating a difficult life transition.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Aspirations of Insight, July 10, 2002

By 

T. V. Robertson "discot" (Vancouver, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Aspirations of Greatness: Mapping the Mid-Life Leaders Reconnection to Self and Soul (Hardcover)

This book deals with the contrasts, interactions, and conflicts between the career-oriented, externally focused parts of our lives, and the rest of our lives. The author uses as case studies several men and a woman who, after having achieved relatively high status in their work, found themselves unhappy and unfulfilled. In some cases, these people found they had pursued their work at the expense of other things important to them. In other cases, they were in job situations inconsistent with their heart's desire. Of course, career achievement does not in itself lead to happiness. The author's theme is that to achieve happiness, we each need to understand and embrace our own internal world of fears and beliefs, and ultimately to acknowledge ourselves as being in the hands of our ultimate Source (whether that be God or the Universe or something else is a personal preference). Armed with this understanding, we can make better choices in our lives, choices that are more likely to lead to happiness. The author presents several frameworks to help us understand our internal universe, for example he invites us to think of ourselves as being ruled by strong and weak versions of the Sovereign, Warrior, Magician, and Lover archetypes. He also presents an apt bus analogy: our conscious mind is the driver, interrupted by riders in the back representing various characters that inhabit our unconscious.

I was eager to read this book. Its elements make it the sort of book I'd expect to enjoy a lot. It deals with the quest for inner awareness, which has been a transforming, personal quest for me, and it addresses the mid-career "what next" question, something definitely on my mind. The ideas, the truths the author addresses are undeniably important ones. He even uses frameworks I know and like, and some new clever ones. And the author can certainly turn a phrase. I often stepped back to admire his facility with words, his clear and competent sentences. I found many of his sentences stand-alone gems; material for quotes or poster captions. However, for some reason, this book didn't click with me. Maybe it's because the truths seemed more pronouncements than insights; the characters hard to relate to; the judgements too pat. My reaction to such an eloquently written book surprises me. Perhaps the eloquence was not enough for me. Maybe I wanted more heart from the author, more links from the truths he reveals to his own personal reality.