The Zookeeper's Secret: Finding Your Calling in Life

by Jeffery A. Thompson

[sstaley]

The Zookeeper's Secret is a great book for any one in any stage of their life; whether starting out in a career or having been in one for many years.

The Title, 'The Zoo Keeper's Secret' is based on something the authors found by interviewing zookeepers. Though most Zookeepers are college educated, they get very low pay and never receive fame or recognition, yet they are passionate about it and are the happiest employed group of individuals according to well over a thousand surveyed zookeepers. I sometimes wish I had been a zookeeper because I love animals.

The chapters are set up as what the authors called "heresies". You can read the chapters in any order according to what you may be looking for. I actually skipped around when I read the book. I also liked how there are activities the authors would like you to do after reading each chapter. Some were easy to do and others called for more deep self reflection and getting the help of loved ones and friends.These I found were very helpful to look more closely at myself and how I was feeling about my career and life calling.

Here are the Heresies that the authors try to correct for you...

Heresy 1:Only lucky people find a calling in life.

Heresy 2:You should seek your one true calling in life.


Heresy 3:You get to script your path to a calling in life.

Heresy 4:You have to set aside your calling in order to support your family.

Heresy 5:When you find your calling, work will be blissful.

Heresy 6:When you find your calling, the world will take notice.

Heresy 7:Meaning is found at work.

Another great thing found in the book were the Appendixs' at the end. The first one is called "Mapping Your Calling in Life". I'm actually still working on doing this. It is something that will take a little longer to do. Here you focus on three things that were spoken of in previous chapters:

Passion: One of the defining features of a life calling is called, hardwiring, a feeling that you are naturally predisposed to do some things and not others. Hardwiring creates a sense of passion, an intense desire to pursue a particular activity or interest.
Purpose: They said that sometimes the ideas of Passion and Purpose can't be separated, but they begged to differ. They clarified that passion is something "inside" of you-a spiritual gift or talent you feel compelled to express. Purpose is something "outside" of you- a cause that beckons you to help.
Place: This third element of calling is a sense of place- a feeling that you are where you are supposed to be, whether or not you know why you are there.If you have a strong sense of place it means you feel drawn-spiritually or emotionally - to a particular place or setting.
There are so many intriguing things you learn in this book and I liked the way that it started to shift my thinking about so many aspects of my life. The Zookeeper's Secret is a fantastic guidebook that has the potential to help all people who are seeking changes for more fulfillment and happiness in finding their true calling in life.