Summary

Living a Wholehearted life includes engaging in meaningful work. This could be “having a calling” or feeling a “tremendous sense of accomplishment and purpose” in one’s work. However, it’s easier said than done. To achieve meaningful work, Brown encourages readers to cultivate their gifts and talents because that creates a sense of meaning and purpose. This is important because squandering one’s gifts leads to distress and sharing one’s gifts is a way “source of connection with God” (112). Though using one’s gifts and talents to create meaningful work takes commitment, no one can define what is meaningful to a particular individual.

Brown cautions against self-doubt which “undermines the process of finding our gifts and sharing them with the world” (113). She also cautions against buying into the culture of “supped to” which emphasizes fitting in, perfectionism, and people-pleasing...