Personal finance blog reviews A Life at Work

Justin McHenry reviews A Life at Work for the Zen Personal Finance blog. Unfamiliar with Thomas Moore’s earlier books, he says,

"One of the themes throughout the book that I appreciated was Moore's idea that not every passion is a career, and we shouldn't beat ourselves up about being on the wrong path if our #1 passion isn't our full-time job. We can't all realistically be musicians, or pilots, or authors or working tirelessly to end world hunger or whatever your passion may be. That doesn't mean you can't still pursue those passions and fit them into an overall satisfying life. Sometimes you need an outlook change more than a job change."

McHenry concludes, "... work is where we make our money, and it's where we spend most of our time, so it makes sense to keep thinking about how to make that time rewarding in more than just dollars and cents."

We like that -- it makes sense to think about more than just cents.

Cardiologist explores spirituality of the heart

When asked which five people, living or dead, he'd like to invite to dinner, cardiologist Kirk Laman chose Thomas Moore, Prophet Muhammad, Mohandas Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and his father who died three years ago.

Laman says,"My passion and life's purpose is to help people discover and heal their heart's troubles. I'd like to share the concept of living a mystical life now. This means shifting our focus from the outside to the inside to tap into our heart's deepest wisdom. Our hearts do know. They know what we need to be well on every level. If we can connect with this knowledge then we can begin the healing process."

In the Ann Arbor News today, "Emotions could be key to heart" describes Laman’s work to heal hearts through spiritual means as well as medical methods.

"Having grown up in the Methodist church with a typical Christian upbringing, he'd long been interested in things of the spirit. When he learned about the mystical Rumi tradition of Islam, which includes the healing of the heart, he converted.

Laman, an assistant professor of medicine at Michigan State University, does "heart-opening" exercises 45 minutes every morning, and throughout the day...

Asked which emotions are hardest on the heart, Laman said studies show depression is the most severe, followed by anxiety and stress..."

The article quotes Laman,"Getting people to change is difficult. We live in a world that's focused on the outer. In order to really change, you have to take your focus from the outer and move it to a more inner portion of your heart."

Lamen’s blog offers ways to do this.

A monk is intimate with self, others, the world

"Our task is to discover in the monks how to bring soul closer to the center of a generally secular life and make the switch from heroics to intimacy." - Thomas Moore

While promoting Mary Lou Kownacki's new book, A Monk in the Inner City, published by Orbis Books, Susan Doubet OSB quotes Moore about the monk's role in society. Her post today anticipates Spring's arrival.

Shirt for readers celebrates Thomas Moore

Instead of your sleeve, wear your heart on your chest for Thomas Moore. In time for Valentine’s Day and the launch of A Life at Work, amazon.com offers a tee shirt from the Direct Collection for Thomas Moore enthusiasts:

"Purchase this shirt for someone you love or purchase it for yourself. If you really love Thomas Moore then this is the shirt for you. Short sleeve, pre-shrunk, great quality and an amazing price." It's been cut to $16.99 (U.S.)

Perfect reading apparel, this shirt celebrates every Thomas Moore.