Customer Reviews

Life On Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life

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Do you live life in a state of perpetual overwhelm, running from one task to another, always doing, doing, doing, but feeling like you're getting nowhere? Do you ever wonder why you live the life you do, and how you could make it better? Life on Purpose, Six Passages To An Inspired Life is a valuable tool to help you get on the way to living a more conscious, fulfilled life.

Rather than looking at life purpose as something you do, the author proposes that your life purpose is a way of being in the world. He says, "Consider that life purpose is the context, vessel, or container into which you pour your life." Clarifying your life purpose gives you a framework for living life and allows you to make conscious choices in every moment.

Unlike many self-help books that tell you how to find love, make a million dollars, and lose thirty pounds in two weeks, this little book shows you how to make every day an expression of who you truly are. You don't have to buy an expensive collection of CDs, attend an outrageously expensive in-person seminar with the guru du jour, or spend weeks or months meditating, praying or otherwise practicing before you see results. Written in conversational, easily accessible language, the book is like having a personal coaching session with Dr. Swift. He includes plenty of exercises, Call-To-Action Assignments, and practical, easy-to-use tools to help you live a purposeful life.

If you want to create a life you love living, buy this book and do the exercises. Your soul will thank you.

I write about self improvement and personal development on a regular basis, and the absolute most important concept that I teach people is that they have to consciously create their lives, rather than just living their lives. Dr. Swift not only echoes that line of thinking in many different ways, but he also provides more systems for creating a "Life on Purpose" than I have ever seen in one place before.

If you have "been there and done that" in your efforts to make improvements to your life, I recommend "Life on Purpose" as not just an educational tool, but an actual guide that will take you from being completely lost to taking complete control over your life by realizing that your life is all about who you are as a person, not the job that you have or the roles that you fill in life.

One caveat: Do the work! Dr. Swift provides a real "meat and potatoes" look at how to figure out where you have been, and where you want to go, and then he provides the tools to make a consistent and conscious effort for doing exactly that.

I wrote a more complete review of the book on my blog, and I encourage you to stop by in order to get a more in-depth look at some of the book's finer points.

Aaron M. Potts

Brad Swift's journey into living Life on Purpose took him from fatigue to fulfillment, from depression to delight, from the Good Life to a meaningful life. As a veterinarian-turned writer-turned life coach, Dr. Swift has experienced the transformation of purposeful living, and translated what he learned into a "systematic, spiritually based process for assisting people to clarify and live true to their life purpose."

Life on Purpose sits at the nexus of the recent flurry of books about purposeful living and the evolving coaching industry. It's basically a self-coaching manual for purposeful living. Swift looks at purposeful living as having more to do with who you are than what you do. Living purposefully is transformational because it changes who you are and how you relate to the world. Life on Purpose shows you how to make the journey.

Dr. Swift says that your purpose is "the context of your life that shapes what you do" and the things you do are "the ways in which you express your life purpose." When you don't know your purpose, you make decisions according to your default programming--your unconscious "inherited purpose," which is based on whatever people told you when you were a kid. When you do know your purpose, you make decisions that fulfill that purpose, and you experience joy, satisfaction and fulfillment.

You begin with a self-assessment of where you are now; how purposeful your current life is. Then Swift takes you through six passages that help you define your life purpose and begin to live it out. Along the way, he gives you exercises, assignments, tips, projects, examples and tools to help you on the journey.

You can read Life on Purpose superficially, and learn quite a bit about purposeful living. That's what I intended to do; learn about the whys and wherefores of finding my life purpose. Instead, I found myself engaging with the material, thinking about the questions and doing the assignments. And becoming clear about my own life purpose and how to live it out. The book is engaging enough to pull you into the process.

Dr. Swift draws you into a relationship with him and the book. His language is intimate and encouraging; you feel like he's there with you, coaching and helping you as surely as if he were speaking with you in person. He manages to translate the coaching relationship into written form, making it accessible for anyone who reads his book.

Life on Purpose is a practical, friendly, hands-on book for anybody who wants to live a more meaningful life.

Several weeks ago, I got an email asking if I would like to review a new book which was being released. After agreeing that the content of the book was something which related to the general content of my blog, I responded that I'd be honored to participate in what is now being called the Book Blog Tour for Brad Swift's Life on Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life.

Glancing over some of the other blogs participating in the tour, I see that the book has thus far received overwhelmingly positive feedback. I'm pleased that I'm not here to argue with the other reviewers. Dr. Swift's writing is genuine and warm, and you can definitely feel the coaching roots of his prose. While I don't think I am in the target audience for this book, I can see how it could help those who find themselves in the bewildering position of what can only be described as an identity crisis.

Life on Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life is a detailed step by step method of discovering purpose in life. When Dr. Swift writes of a life purpose, he rejects the traditional western association of career with identity and presents a more balanced approach. He suggests that through thought, intuition, and contemplation, we can come up with a sort of guiding statement for our lives. This statement is meant to be the cup which holds the liquid of our lives. The book is scattered with helpful and inspirational quotes from famous thinkers and utilizes spiritual insight from multiple schools of spiritual thought. Those familiar with Zen and Taoist philosophies will notice many familiar techniques utilized in this system, which to me is a fantastic thing. Dr. Swift's methods advocate contemplation and meditation techniques, as well as learning to live in the moment in order to keep our life purposes on track. The book is filled with exercises and techniques for discovering what kind of life purpose you wish to have, and for keeping the things you do within the context of that purpose once you've found it. Some of the most helpful parts of this book (in my opinion) were the sections dealing with what Dr. Swift titles the Inherited Purpose, something brought about by our past experiences and which influences the way we behave and the decisions we make in our lives. These sections really bring to light the history of your actions and the things which shape the person you've become.

While reading through this book, I sometimes felt that Dr. Swift's directions were tailored for a child, or a very slow learning adult. I also felt that this book was written mostly for an audience of burnt out baby boomers. Despite these things, I always felt that Dr. Swift had my best interest at heart and if you can overlook these small and unimportant points, I'm sure you'd feel the same way too. If you're lost in life, looking for meaning, or finding yourself constantly switching jobs, partners, or life circumstances, I would highly recommend this book as a system of self healing. Go into it with an open mind and a warm heart, and only good can come from the endeavor.

By accident I came accross this book, looking for marital advice I came across a web site that had really nothing to do with what I was looking for and one of the recommended readings was "Life on Purpose" so I bought it. What could it hurt?! It is great! I have started reading and each time a question comes up or a test is given, what ever it is, I pull out a blank sheet of paper, write it at the top and answer it but if I have trouble answering the question I finish reading and come back to my piece of paper. Then I add it to a three ring binder and am creating a workbook of sorts that I can go back and refer to. This helps you see your progress and gives you a "paper trail" so you can see where you are and where you came from. It has really opened my eyes and makes you think and see things from different angles than you normally would. I recommend it. What could it hurt?

As a certified Life on Purpose Coach, I am deeply familiar and committed to the process developed and articulated by author Brad Swift. That process is very clearly articulated in this very user-friendly book, written in a coaching style for individuals. On the road to discovery, readers will greatly benefit from discussing their journey with others who are also reading the book, or from contacting a Life on Purpose coach directly. When I first encountered the Life on Purpose coaching process I was a bit apprehensive; as an ordained United Methodist clergywoman I was concerned with how it would mesh with my theology. I am happy to report that however you understand Spirit, the One Greater than oneself, what Brad call's Universal Love is deeply a part of the process of clarifying life purpose and living a life on purpose. With numerous books on the market promising a magic elixir through discovering purpose, rest assured that "Life on Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life" is unique. When you use the Life on Purpose process in this book, you will receive the benefit of clarifying your life purpose, which will enhance every aspect of your life.

A beautiful book; beautifully written by a man who truly lives his Life Purpose. Read this book and keep it close; allow it to open your heart and mind to a life of unlimited possibilities - a Life On Purpose.

Suzanne Wade

It's fairly easy for many people to agree that we all came to this world for a purpose. That we have a divine reason to be here, with our specific set of gifts, to put them at the service of the world and all those we come in contact with, and transform our lives to be a reflection of our divine purpose. The big question is "HOW?" Dr Swift's book - "Life on Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life" is a practical and inspirational guide that walks you by the hand through the process of first reaching clarity on the why are we here question, and then on the second stage, how to make our life a reflection of that divine reason.
I have gone through his Tele-Course on "Living a Fulfilled Life" and also have read the book and are using it as guide for me and also for others dear in my life, to help make the dream of creating a "World on Purpose" a reality. I strongly recommend it!
Ricardo

If you are looking for a to the point, simple read on understanding YOUR life purpose this book is it. As a life coach I have read most of the books on this topic available by every guru well known and obscure, and this book gives the most clear and concise answers to this age old question by doing the simple exercises. If you are looking for something that will give you answers in a day or a weekend, this book is it (depending on the readers need to ponder the questions in the exercises).

This book does not only have a beautiful cover, but beautiful contents, and what is so beautiful is the way it leads the reader to get to finally learn so much about themselves in such a brief period of time. This is no short cut, simply a direct path to knowing YOU. No longer is there the need to purchase books, products, and then go to the next upsale item in the product chain as you grasp at tidbits. In this book your questions about YOU are answered.

The most important element of this process are in steps two and three. I have seen other programs and books that dance around this part of self discovery, and uncover aspects of self-sabotage, but have never seen this particular way of directly uncovering this vital aspect of self knowledge. In discussions I can 'hear' the bell ring of finally 'getting it' when this information is uncovered so simply and directly. This part of the book makes it more valuable than the sale price alone. If you are tempted to put down the book at this point, continue through it, it can be a little tough, but once through it, you have greatly cleared many of the obstacles to living a life you love.

Bottom line, this book is truly worth the price and the time. If you want answers quickly and easily, then this is the book for you.

A friend recommended this book to me and at first I was a little skeptical because I've read other "life purpose books" and found them to be too "I have a pre-determined and destined purpose."

However, I was deep in suffering. I had massive debt and couldn't name one true friend. So, I gave the book a try and did all of the exercises Dr. Brad Swift recommended.

To my surprise, subtle shifts began to happen over a months period. I noticed a shift in perspective and an underlying peace that I carried with me throughout the day. The more I related to my created life purpose, the more my internal life and external world became a perfect match! Like clockwork!

Here is my life purpose: "A life on purpose is a life of harmony and adventure; its a life that contributes to raising and evolving the consciousness, spirits, and awareness of others and myself; to resonate with intimacy, love, playfulness, and compassion; and to be a source of possibility and inspiration to the world."

Thank you Dr. Brad! After Three successful years of living on purpose my complete life has become a purposeful expression. My health and vitality have become a 10. I'm in love with my dream mate. And, I have a thriving business and income that match my life purpose.

This book is a must read, if you are interested in creating your Divinely Inspired Life Purpose on your terms.

-Nick Pfennigwerth
Founder, Creative Wealth Building