Book Review From Rick’s Library: Living On Purpose by Amy Eliza Wong

7 min read

How many times have you heard people tell you that you ‘should’ try this, you should lose weight, you should take up piano. Should, should, should! According to the author of this book review, the world ‘should´ implies a fix reality. As she calls it out, ‘I should you not’.

Welcome to That's Life, I Swear. This podcast is about life's happenings in this world. Happenings that conjure up such words as intriguing, frightening, life-changing, inspiring, and more. I'm Rick Barron, your host. 

That said, here's the rest of this story.

Ok, let’s talk about the book
Amy Eliza Wong's "Living on Purpose" is a radiant gem in the realm of self-help literature. The book offers readers a transformative journey towards authenticity and intentionality. From the opening pages, Wong's motivational and compassionate voice resonates, providing a guiding light for those seeking a more purposeful existence.

What does it truly mean to live a life of purpose and meaning? This is the profound question at the heart of this inspirational book.

Part memoir, part scientific exploration and part guidebook, "Living On Purpose" chronicles Amy’s personal journey from depressed corporate executive to purpose-driven thought leader. Along the way, she synthesizes ancient wisdom with modern psychology to provide a roadmap for others to cut through the noise of modern life and cultivate more purpose, fulfillment and joy.

Amy opens the book with a painfully honest personal story about her struggles with anxiety and depression while climbing the ranks of a successful tech company. Outwardly she had it all - prestige, money, influence - but inside she felt empty and lost. Her tipping point comes during a panic attack before a big presentation when she realizes she's been living life on autopilot, caught chasing goals imposed on her by society.

This raw vulnerability draws readers in while reframing commonly held narratives around success. Amy’s heart realized she needed, not ‘should’, to make a change, setting her on a quest to better understand the root causes of her anguish and prevent others from suffering the same fate.

Time to make that pivot.

"Living On Purpose" emerged from that quest, incorporating Amy's learnings through copious research, soul-searching, and working with mindfulness experts. This publication aims to provide readers with a holistic understanding of what drives our epidemic of depression, anxiety and lack of meaning so that we can transform our lives.

Wong takes readers on an expressive tour of relevant philosophy and psychology, exploring how seismic societal shifts have disconnected us from the core elements that humans need to thrive. She weaves together insights from Rumi, Carl Jung, and Lynne McTaggart and others to explore the intrinsic human needs for self-awareness, community, self-expression and purpose.

Modern society, she argues, has left too many of us adrift - confused about who we are and what really matters while bombarded with external stimuli and messaging that distracts us from our true calling. The result is a spiritual and psychological void.

The central premise in Amy’s writing is that we all have a unique gift within us - a calling waiting to emerge. But we must create space from life's chaos to rediscover it. This requires mindset shifts, intention-setting, and habits that help us reconnect with our innate wisdom.

The book shifts from diagnosis to prescription, providing concrete steps for finding one's purpose. She grounds her advice in empirical evidence, blending academic research with ancient wisdom and practices. Techniques covered include guided meditations, journaling prompts, goal visualization exercises and more.

The book introduces five mental strategies aimed at shedding negative self-perceptions and fostering intentional living. The material is highly readable thanks to Amy's graceful prose. She writes unguarded from a place of compassion rather than authority. 

That said, this is why I found Amy’s approach to be so refreshing to read. She fosters trust and psychological safety for the sensitive work of confronting one's past traumas and beliefs.

"Living On Purpose" thus reads more as a conversation with a highly-learned friend than a lecture. The book flows almost as a guided meditation as Amy artfully blends moving personal stories with research, poetry and teachings from various luminaries. Her profound message is made accessible through elegant distillations into bite-sized takeaways.

The result is a book that informs but also transforms. While diagnosis and prescriptions abound in modern self-help, it's rare to find an author who moves so aptly between the rigor of academic concepts and the poetry of timeless wisdom. This blend of head and heart fills the book with an undeniable energy that empowers readers to manifest change.

For those struggling with depression, trepidation, overwhelm or a lack of fulfillment, "Living On Purpose" provides a timely lifeline. Amy makes it clear that we are not alone in this modern epidemic of despair and confusion. And that our way out lies in awakening to our own unique gifts so we can offer them courageously to the world.

In gracefully opening the doorway to purpose, Amy has created that rare gem - a self-help book that genuinely helps. "Living On Purpose" serves as a compassionate invitation to step through that doorway and reclaim life's magic. It's a call that's impossible to ignore. 

So, let’s talk about the author 

Author: Amy Eliza Wong. Courtesy of Google Search

Amy is deeply committed to guiding individuals toward a life filled with authentic joy and fulfillment, fostering a space free from fear and distorted perceptions. Her dedication lies in empowering others to embrace purposeful living and leadership.

With a rich background spanning over two decades, she has immersed herself in the exploration and application of transformation principles. As a certified Executive Coach specializing in transpersonal psychology, design thinking, interpersonal neurobiology, and Conversational Intelligence®, she has orchestrated numerous transformative experiences for individuals, executives, teams, and organizations.

Amy's educational journey includes earning a B.A. in mathematics from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in transpersonal psychology from Sofia University. Currently, she imparts her wisdom at Stanford Continuing Studies and UC Berkeley Extension, while also collaborating with major players in the tech industry. Her offerings extend globally, providing transformative leadership development and communication strategies to executives and teams.

Quick sidebar here. I took one of Amy’s courses through the Stanford Continuing Studies program. You’ve probably attended a one day six-hour course, wondering when will the instructor be done! Gotta tell you, she knows how to keep an audience engaged. There wasn’t one dull moment in her session, not one.

Amy was recently interviewed by journalists Pierre Schneidermann and Baptiste GIUDICELLI for an upcoming #documentary focused on #Silicon Valley. The documentary is set to premiere on two prominent media platforms: the Franco-German television channel ARTE and Konbini, a pure player with a specialization in pop culture. Pierre and Baptiste aim to provide their audiences with an insider's perspective, unraveling the mystique surrounding the global hub of reinvention and innovation.
 
She described her take for the interview, and I quote: “Silicon Valley has somewhat of a mythical, out-sized reputation. I can only hope my perspective , which I have gained over more than a decade of 1:1 coaching with tech founders, executives, leadership workshops, and 
team-building experiences with employees at every stage of their career, on this inspiring, frustrating, and incredibly creative community of highly passionate and motivated innovators helps others around the world be a better understanding of Silicon Valley and see the humanity and complexity of the people who work here through the seemingly relentless ambition.” End quote

Beyond her professional pursuits, Amy enjoys quality time with her family in the Bay Area when she's not engrossed in writing, researching, or delivering impactful speeches. 

What drew my interest in reading this book? 

There have been moments where we wanted something, even saying we wanted it desperately. We took a step forward, and then our self-doubt forces us to hit the brakes. 

After reviewing various reviews, I was drawn to the book because it called out how we in our lives have delt with rejection, getting that moment of the door slamming in your face. Flipping the pages of this book I discovered a whole new way, a process if you will, to deal with moments where our lives’ sputter in circles due to a negative moment.

"Life on Purpose” is an inspiring read! The central theme beautifully advocates for the profound significance of living life with purpose, emphasizing its positive correlation with overall 
 well-being. Throughout the chapters, there's a strong emphasis on cultivating energy to empower purposeful actions and enhance the joy of intentional living.

What can we learn from this story? What's the take away?

Many individuals from diverse backgrounds, despite their numerous accomplishments and rich experiences, often find themselves grappling with a quest for fulfillment and profound 
 self-reflection. These emotions can prompt them to ponder whether the life they currently lead aligns with their true purpose.

Amy calls it out: “Should's” represent resistance, plain and simple.

"Living On Purpose" emerges as the eagerly anticipated guidebook for such individuals. This uplifting book empowers readers to forge stronger connections with those around them and discover genuine satisfaction in their life's journey. It illuminates the path to overcoming pervasive feelings of lack and discontent by revealing how to fill the void that cannot be satisfied merely by accumulating more wealth, attaining higher status, or chasing the next big achievement.

Amy captures it very where she describes the essence of the word, ‘confidence’.

And I quote:

 “Confidence is a state of being that arises from a knowing of our completeness, where we feel naturally capable of engaging with a given person, situation, or circumstance. When we’re rooted in truth, we feel energized, calm, present, and infinitely resourced. This is power. And it leads to truly empowering conversations and positive impact that lasts.”

There is one more thing and on a personal note. Amy, this was a well-structured and thoughtfully written book. I wish you tons of success and I’m so damn proud and honored to call you my dear friend.

End quote. 

Well, there you go. That’s life, I swear.

For further information regarding the material covered in this episode, I invite you to visit my website which you can find on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, for show notes calling out key pieces of content mentioned and the episode transcript.

As always, I thank you for listening and your interest.

Be sure to subscribe here or wherever you get your podcast so you don't miss an episode. See you soon.