Having read several of Marcus Buckingham’s books in the past, I was especially excited when I saw that he had written one for women. I am married and have been a stay-at-home mom, a part-time working mom, a successful home-based business mom and a full-time working mom. Find Your Strongest Life is definitely a book for women, but to me it seems more directed to the working mom.
Marcus is an expert at helping people find their strengths and then put those strengths to work. His books typically start by sharing the results of surveys which are gathered from thousands (if not millions) of individuals. The results generally show that many of us feel unhappy and misplaced in our various roles—at work and in our personal lives. The author’s feeling is that we all do life better and are more content and productive when we find ourselves in roles that use our strengths. Since many people do not understand how they are wired, he provides an online assessment to help out. After the assessment, he coaches the reader to adjust their various roles by doing things that play to those strengths. I found Marcus’ book, Now Discover Your Strengths, to be a great help in giving me a better understanding of who I am and the roles I am best suited for.
Unfortunately, Find Your Strongest Life falls short. Not only did I find the online assessment lacking, I struggled through much of the terminology used and the philosophy that runs throughout the book. The whole “catch-and-cradle” terminology made me feel like a child. The “it’s all about me” philosophy permeates almost every chapter. A good example is—“So when you are trying to decide what to do with your career, cradle your strongest moments and let them guide you. When you are trying to make peace between competing responsibilities in your life, accept what these moments tell you and allow them to set your priorities.” Personally, I want a sovereign God to lovingly guide and direct my paths…not my strongest moments!
There is much to be gained on the journey of discovering your God-given strengths and abilities. And it is true that we do tend to function most effectively when we are playing to our strengths. I’m just not sure that Find Your Strongest Life is a book I would recommend to help one on this journey. There are many resources out there that do a much better job.
One positive note—I am glad that authors and publishers seem to be doing away with the code inside the book jacket that is needed to take online assessments. The Strongest Life assessment is readily available simply by going to the website mentioned in the book.
