The Vow-Powered Life - Predict The Future | Mindsetchronicle

Cart

Your cart is currently empty.

Customer Reviews

Based on 4 reviews
25%
(1)
25%
(1)
50%
(2)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
e
eannette

This book inspired me in ways I didn't expect. I wouldn't be surprised if time proves this to be one of the more valuable reads of my life. :)

j
jennifer k.

The book "The Vow-Powered Life"A simple Method for Living with Purpose by Jan Chozen Bays,MDwas a great book i won on goodreads first reads for an honest review.
This book talks about how a vow,a pledge or promise, can help us to find direction into our lives by discovering the our intentions for so uch more then what we usually think.
The book shows us the different kinds of vows and how to form the vows by tests and,bucket lists,mission statements and the psychology of the vows.
I feel that the exercises that this book gives guides and help you to find your individual answers.
I believe this book is for anyone who wants to find and help themselves to be a better person.

J
Jim Thompson

This is a discussion of vows by a Zen teacher. It's not a "Buddhist book." There are bits and pieces of Buddhism in it, but there are also bits and pieces of Christianity, Islam, and so on. All of them mostly serve as examples, illustrations, to the points she's making.

Three stars here because the writing is good and the points are solid, but it's not anything new. It's a "mission statement," "purposeful living" type book. If you've read "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" then you've more or less read this. It has it's own little nuances, and it's good, but it's generally of the same cloth as "Seven Habits" and not really as strong.

The stuff about relationships and celibacy is probably the most interesting part in here, followed closely by the idea of "unfinished" vows, vows that we start work on knowing we can't complete, seeing ourselves as part of a larger whole, leaving good work that will be continued for generations.

Overall, liked it, not blown away, but worth the read.

j
johnny M.

I'd round my rating up to 3.5 if possible. This is a solid book which contains a lot of wisdom, but it didn't wow me.

As I noted in one of my general updates, author Bays' definition of vow has more in common with a life mission statement. In some ways this makes the idea of a "vowed life" more accessible, since it follows that the ultimate vow is something inherent within us, not something we need to force ourselves to take up. At the same time, she points out the need for discernment in determining this vow, because many people take "reactive vows" -- vows which are the result of external conditions that we resist or embrace rather than finding our own true centers.

She also points out the importance of distinguishing vows from "means" -- or tactics. She would say, for example, that "I vow to pray every day," is less of a vow than a means of keeping the actual vow of "I will deepen my spiritual life." She also generously points out that our vows evolve over time, and that sometimes breaking vows -- or "muddying" them -- can be part of the process of ongoing reflection and maturation.

The book is illustrated with many examples of different kinds of vows drawn from legend, history, the experience of the author and those she has met.