Do What You Love for the Rest of Your Life

September 10, 2001
Griffiths, a former Wall Street honcho who downshifted into a more satisfying career as a playwright and professional speaker, draws on his and others' experiences to provide a road map for change. He advises readers to commit to a career change, identifying doubts (often money-related) before undertaking the process of identifying a passion, perhaps by taking tests or seeing a career counselor. The new career, says Griffiths, should integrate the personal and career selves. Emphasizing the need for family discussions about such change, Griffiths suggests that children care less about economic status than reliable parenting. As for money, he suggests getting control of finances and analyzing expectations, recognizing, e.g., that children can get a good education at non–brand name schools. His advice ranges from the psychological ("maintaining a constructive attitude") to the practical (make a chart assessing the skills and abilities applicable to new career possibilities). Avoid burning bridges, he says, as networking works better than responding to job ads. Acknowledging the trade-offs, Griffiths concludes that "self-worth" is more important than "net worth." His book is hardly comprehensive—the appendix refers to a host of resources, including the legendary What Color Is Your Parachute?
And, of course, it recounts the success stories rather than the failures. Still, Griffiths's spiritual approach—living the Golden Rule and recognizing that happiness "is inversely proportionate to expectations"—offers wise counsel to those beginning such journeys. (On sale Dec. 18)Forecast:With his public speaking experience, Griffiths's five-city tour and radio interviews may compensate some for his relative anonymity; expect middling sales.