Customer Reviews

Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life

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Gregg Levoy is a master at telling stories, using creative--often very amusing--metaphors to discuss the spiritual, abstract world of life callings. Though I expected a more direct how-to type manual on finding one's path in life, I was not disappointed in this book; on the contrary, I immensely enjoyed this more picturesque, sensitive sojourn through others' experiences with taking risks and following their callings. It inspired me to dream and begin adventures of my own!

Hearing a call is a very difficult discernment process. Sometimes the call is clear, but the path is not. Sometimes the path is clear, but the desire is not. Gregg Levoy has done an exceptional job at being an in-print spiritual director for those seeking an entrance into the process of finding a true calling and a more authentic life.

I recently met Levoy, and heard him speak on the topic of vocation and discerning a calling at the college adjoining my seminary. His manner of public speaking is very much in concert with his style of writing -- vibrant, interesting, engaging, and honest.

What is right for me? and Where am I willing to be led? are the two essential questions -- Discernment requires that we ask these two questions continually and devotedly.

As Levoy says, 'people won't pursue their callings until the fear of doing so is finally exceeded by the pain of not doing so.' I have found this to be very true. It took a very long time to discern my call to the priesthood, and yet more time to decide that it is something I must do at all costs (and the costs have been heavy). Yet, I cannot imagine myself doing anything differently and being in any way fulfilled.

'The truest calls seem not only to keep coming back but also to make their way to us through many channels.'

Levoy integrates so much material here, from spiritual masters and the scriptural traditions of many religious faiths to modern psychology and artistic/cultural experts.

Perhaps the greatest chapter for me was that on 'Finding Clarity', in which Levoy says that 'there is such a thing as thinking too much about a calling.' As Emerson said, sometimes it is best to let the bird sing without trying to decipher the song. 'A calling is ultimately mysterious, and the process of discernment is always a bit of a guessing game.'

Levoy's guidance, in cooperation with others in my community, helped me to see a change of mindset, a change of events, a change of personalities were all converging to tell me something that I had closed my mind to, or, more accurately, had closed my heart to. So, I began to pray, even if only subconsciously, and the path began to materialise before my eyes. 'When I pray, coincidences start to happen. When I don't pray, they don't happen.' - William Temple

It also taught me that I couldn't wait for 'someday' -- how we spend our days is how we spend our lives, according to the apt observation of Annie Dillard.

And finally, it made me face what it was to keep saying no. There is a cost, and eventually God will get you anyway -- Jonah (remember Jonah and the great fish?) said no, but eventually had follow his call anyway. I learned that one source of my fear: 'One of the frightening prospects of saying yes to a calling is that you may find out who really supports you and who doesn't.'

Figuring out how to bring my call into being was the final task, and Levoy provided wisdom here as well. 'You cannot cross a chasm in two small jumps', he quoted Lloyd-George as saying; I was forced to create a response to my call, one that did not exist before.

Thus, not too long after discovering this book, I became Father Kurt, and I owe much to this book for that. But please, don't assume that it will tempt or trap you into a ministerial role--it is an excellent guide for discernment, and discernment is one of the most personal tasks for any human being. Prepare to be enlightened.

The readers ahead of me have already written stunning specifc content reviews, so this will be brief!

This book is more than a book, it feels like a work of art. It's the kind of book that you know in your heart, you will read over and over, hundreds of times, and be struck each time by something different.

Mr. Levoy has followed his own calling and in doing so, has written a book of such wit and grace, that I found myself trying to memorize whole sections! In following his call, he has turned on the lights for the rest of us, still working our way through the confusing dark places.

I will buy copies of this book for my friends, but my hardcover copy will permanently stay on my bookshelves! There are only a few books that are so amazing you want them for life, and this is one of them!

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Levoy last year at the Whole Life Expo in Chicago. He was hosting a lecture, unfortunately opposite James Redfield (author of "The Celestine Prophecy.") I was wooed by the bigger name. Later, as a crowd gathered around Redfield at a book signing, I found myself standing in front of Levoy. I told him that I had wanted to come to his lecture, that it was unfortunate that he was scheduled opposite Redfield. He looked almost annoyed when he said, "Yeah. I know." I bought his book. He signed it. And I just finished it, 9 months later. I was impressed by his style: surprisingly lyrical. What I was anticipating was a book that would help me find the path, to determine where it is I should be heading. This is not a workbook, though one writing exercise does spring to mind. Still, it DID manage to spur on a great amount of thought. This copy is heavily highlighted and underlined, with hasty notes crammed into the margins. Levoy will not tell you where you should be heading. He respects us enough to know that only we possess that knowledge. But he does tweak the landscape, leaving us asking questions about ourselves that may just be the nudge we were looking for.

from the author of DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF: A PERSONAL APPROACH TO DREAM INTERPRETATION; and DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DREAMS, DAYDREAMS, AND FANTASIES.

Written in lyrical, poetic prose, Gregg Levoy's CALLINGS is a beautiful book that offers hope for all of us to realize our dreams. Like one of the reviewers below, I was charmed by so many sections that much of my hardcover copy is now highlighted in yellow.

I especially liked: "...we often end up trading our authenticity for what we perceive as survival, terrified to swap security for our heart's deepest desires, which is the imperative of all callings and none of the dominant fears in responding to them." and "The great breakthroughs in our lives generally happen only as a result of the accumulation of small steps and minor achievements." (And these two quotes are in the first five pages!) This book is truly a gift to readers everywhere.

Mr. Levoy's book is a work of art. His writing is sheer poetry and his command of language outstanding. The substance of the book itself, was to me a practical guideline of how to live one's life to the fullest, after being absolutely sure that the chosen path is the most beneficial, all things considered. There are times when I wished I had read this book before I followed what I was sure at the time was my calling. However I console myself with the thought that when the student is ready, the teacher appears.

This is a well written and informative book. It is not a how to do it book that gives you specifics to find your calling. It makes a important point that calling is not just about work but life. The author has some wonderful metaphores and anecdotes. I enjoyed it but was looking for something more direct.

"When you're on the right path, the Universe gives you winks and nods." Gregg Levoy shows how to look and listen for the clues. This book has the JOY of people finding their way and recognizing that the road may hard, but journey worthwhile. I recommend it highly for those who are seeking a change in their life or who encountering problems on their current path.

Callings is unlike the typical "pie in the sky" self-help, motivational babble. The prose is engaging and creative without distracting the reader from the message. And the message can be intense. Most days I limited myself to digest 10-15 pages at a time as Mr. LeVoy left me with so much to think about. You'll especially enjoy this book if you're a Joseph Campbell/Carl Jung fan. I must confess that I bought this book twelve years ago and never read it. Back in 1999 I was in a position that allowed me to quit my job to focus on a life long dream. That's when I bought Mr. LeVoy's book. Due to circumstances beyond my control I had to go back to work shortly thereafter. I tucked Callings back on my bookshelf. Now, twelve long years later I'm voluntarily unemployed and back at fulfilling my dream. I pulled "Callings" off my bookshelf, blew off the dust and sat down to read. What an incredible book! The message is truly timeless. A well-read, lovingly dog-eared copy of this book in your personal library would be a very good investment.

Calling's is very well researched with many inspirational stories and well grounded in mythical and religous thought. It feeds the mind and the spirit.