March 7, 2014 / Leslie

Review – Audiobook: Your Life Calling by Jane Pauley

Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life
by Jane Pauley
Narrated by Jane Pauley

Genre: Inspirational
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publish Date: January 7, 2014
Format: Audio, 6 hours | 50 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 4 of 5

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Jane Pauley, one of America’s most beloved and trusted broadcast journalists, gives voice to the opportunities of her generation—and the next one too—offering humor and insight about the journey forward. Your Life Calling is a fresh look at ideas that have been simmering since boomers first entered midlife with a different perspective on the future than any generation before: that there was more to come—and perhaps the best of all.

My Thoughts:

I never looked toward my later years as “retirement” – I bristle at the word. Instead, I looked forward to the day when I could work fewer hours, accept less pay and do more satisfying work. I thought that day would be 10 years in the future. I wasn’t planning on the company I worked for closing their doors leaving me unemployed. A disaster or an opportunity? I wasn’t sure. This book came along at the right time for me.

I now believe it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. The problem is momentum – we tend to keep doing whatever we are doing because change can be unsettling or impractical. As a member of the baby boom generation, and one who had the same career for 20 years, I am the target market for this book, a series of inspiration stories. The people featured in these stories accepted the challenge to change their careers after many years of working in a field that was not giving them the satisfaction they needed.

This is not a self-help book. It doesn’t tell you how to change but instead inspires you to look beyond what you are doing now. What did you love to do? Your passions, your hobbies? Sometimes it takes the first half of your life to realize what you really have a passion for and when you do it, it will not feel like working.

She acknowledges that not everyone will be able to quit their job at age 55 and reinvent themselves. Many of the people she writes about are already retired or had sufficient income to retire early. But some found themselves in the position I’m in – lost a job but didn’t want to go back to the same career – and were able to make the change. I’m still working on it, but I know it’s possible. Whatever your situation, these stories will inspire you to look forward to the day you can change your life to one with more balance and fulfillment.

At times we all need a little inspiration and encouragement to help us realize that what seems like an impossible goal is something we can achieve. A good read even for those who have not yet reached 50 – you’ll be getting there soon enough.

Audio production:
I listened to the CDs in my car over the span of a few weeks. As this book is a series of stories, it is the perfect book to listen to in bits and pieces. Jane Pauley was the obvious choice as the narrator and does not disappoint. Even if I were reading the print version I would be hearing her voice in my head. The audio version would be a good choice for people who don’t often listen to books and want to try out the format. The short, engaging stories don’t require heavy concentration and it’s easy to regain focus if your mind wanders for a moment.

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Source: Review copy provided by Simon & Schuster Audio
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