Book Review - The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine

The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine

Tagline: Life Design for People with Too Many Passion to Pick Just One

In high school, I was highly successful, I graduated 3^rd in my class, had the lead in the musical, captain of the golf team, on the class advisory board. You name it, I was probably involved in it. This lifestyle was celebrated by family and for college acceptance packages, yet as I grew up it was expected that my interest should narrow and now the celebrated lifestyles seem to be of those who dedicate their life to one activity and excel at it. Did I miss a key to growing up? Is there something wrong with me? This book answers those questions and gives direction to people like me who still desire to do it all and well.

Today’s society defines people with a plethora of interest as scatter brained, flighty, easily distracted, passionate but unable to commit to projects. This book starts with defining what a Renaissance Soul is and giving historical examples like my influencer Da Vinci and one of the greatest Renaissance Souls, Benjamin Franklin. There are 4 parts to Lobenstine’s book:

-          Part 1: Claiming Your Renaissance Soul

-          Part 2: Thriving on Many Interests without felling scattered

-          Part 3: Practical Realities: Career Design for Pursuing your Passion

-          Park 4: Successful Life Design for Renaissance Soul

This book makes many great points and I would highly suggest it to anyone who feels like their vast passions are a hindrance and not an asset in his or her life. Yet my biggest takeaway will have to be on her concept of harnessing these passions. Lobenstine uses the analogy of choosing an ice cream flavor to deciding what to do with your time. No one could eat every flavor and not get sick (though many of us relish the idea to try). So she gives the option of a sampler. 4 smaller versions of different flavors and to return whenever you want to try 4 different flavors. So keep a list of all of your life flavor or interests and choose 4 to focus on for a certain period of time. Any time something new pops into your head, add it to the list for later. Then you can manage the 4 focus points in your life.

My Current Sampler:

1.  MBA Program – fall classes until 14^th Dec
2. Blogging/Writing – focus shift for NANOWRIMO
3. Running – Training for ½ marathon 19^th October
4. Sewing/Embroidery – Christmas Presents

Each item will be focused on until completed and then I can pick new items to fill my sampler.  This means that my scrapbooking project or home reno projects will have to wait into their turn in my sampler.

After your sampler is set, each week you can sit down and decide what activities need to be done for the focus point. Once you have these activities you set blocks of time in your schedule for Focus Point Time. A great tip from this book that I am trying to implement is to set aside enough time for all the activities but don’t specify the activity needing to be done in that block. For example if I come to my scheduled block of time and find that I am not motivated to write, I can work on my school work or visa versa if I feel too inspired to stare at a textbook for a couple hours I can write.

The idea that there are many people out there with a Renaissance Soul actually helped inspired by blog here. The Da Vinci spirit is for those who don’t like to be defined as right or left brained, creative or calculating, why can’t I excel at math and art. I hope this book inspires you like it has me!