Is it Too Late to Run Away and Join the Circus?: Finding the Life You Really Want Book

Is It Too Late To Run Away And Join The Circus? is a book about reinventing yourself: the necessity of doing so, and how to go about it. It's about recognising that personal needs change, and that when your current version of life begins to squeeze the soul out of you, there are alternatives. Smye spent years talking to corporate moguls, but instead of hearing success stories and the pride borne of accomplishment, she heard comments like "another week on the gerbil wheel", this from a man with job perks such as a Turbo Bentley and use of the company jet. And when she asked people how they felt, she got replies like "First of all I want to scream. Then I want to kick someone. Then I'd like a bottle of bourbon and a quiet dark room." Or "I'm tired and I've been tired forever and I'm tired of it." Or "What do you have to do to be allowed to be in a rage? My kids are allowed to be in a rage sometimes. My wife is allowed to be in a rage sometimes. Why can't I? When do I get my mid-life crisis?" In response to this omnipresent angst, Smye suggests ways to "organise your work around your satisfaction, serenity, and self-esteem." She discusses job and personal dissatisfaction, and how to recognise the signs. She leads you skilfully through the steps of reflecting on who you once were, who you have become and what you actually want your life to look like now. There are helpful worksheets, and there are many case studies illustrating how people became so unhappy, and what they did to remedy their situations. Smye says there's always a chance for a new life, that it's never too late to join the circus. And, she says, "You'd better do your planning now because the future is going to happen to you whether you're ready or not." She takes the shame out of dissatisfaction, and the fear out of contemplating a new future. --Stephanie Gold, Amazon.comRead More