Crossing the Unknown Sea

Crossing the Unknown Sea
by David Whyte

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Book Summary Information

Author: David Whyte
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2002-04-02
ISBN: 1573229148
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Riverhead Trade

Book Reviews of Crossing the Unknown Sea

Book Review: Finding Fulfilling Work Means Embracing the Uncertainty of One's Journey
Summary: 5 Stars

Each of us will likely reach a point in our professional lives when we ask ourselves what is the value of what we're doing. Some may ignore the impulse and go on with their routines with little adverse effect, while others may feel they are on the edge of a precipice with no path marked toward fulfillment. Author David Whyte, who is both a professional poet and a Fortune 500 consultant, certainly has the experience to write a book about self-discovery, and his most pervasive theme is one of pilgrimage toward our real selves. What makes Whyte's book essential reading is how he is able to translate this journey to our working lives. For many, work is a means to ward off fears of poverty, but the author illustrates how work at its best can be joyful, a "hidden trove of imaginative treasure that we hope can give us self-respect, independence and the ease we desire". At the same time, the harsh reality is that most companies deprive us of time and spaciousness and cause us to lose our creative spark, even ourselves.

Using his life as a guiding post for the reader, the author reveals many of the questions, crises, and turning points in his own search for meaningful work suited to his nature. He candidly discusses the life-changing encounters in his life, as well as the family memories and formative experiences that shaped his own psyche. More specifically, Whyte discusses his stint as a naturalist in the Galapagos Islands and the key role his ancestors have played in shaping the structure and form of his creative work. This emphasis he places upon our inheritance from those who have gone before us is probably the most inspiring message he conveys here. He cites his inspirations from William Blake's paintings, Rainer Maria Rilke's poems, and from the way poet John Keats lived his brief life. Keats believed that truly great people have the ability to accept that not everything can be resolved, that they can thrive in uncertainty. Such dependence on what Keats called the "holiness of the heart's affections" is what Whyte feels needs to be valued now.

Keats' concept of negative capability is the crux of Whyte's thesis, that one should follow one's calling and be guided by one's desires and aptitudes in spite of the uncertainty. Choosing or working at a job or career one is not suited to by nature is a mistake many make due to blinding factors like keeping up with the bills or placing emphasis on what others think. Whyte shows why and how to get back in touch with one's nature and get back on track and why it is so important for people to do so. This is not a stepwise manual toward self-fulfillment. Rather, it's a book of the author's own decisive path, and as such, certain sections of the book will be more relevant than others. Fortunately, Whyte knows firsthand what the corporate world is like and shows how he got back to writing poetry and what the costs and benefits were of doing so. Now he works in the corporate world, using his poetry self to help those who have left behind their creative, inner selves to regain them. It appears he has found the best of both worlds.

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Summary of Crossing the Unknown Sea

Crossing the Unknown Sea shows how poetry and practicality, far from being mutually exclusive, reinforce each other to give every aspect of our lives meaning and direction. For anyone who wants to deepen their connection to their work-or find out what their life's work is-this book is essential to navigating the way.

"Readers who accept poet and Fortune 500 consultant Whyte's invitation to enter into 'an imaginative conversation about life and work' are likely to be challenged as well as delighted by the beauty of his writing and the expansiveness of his views. Gracefully using the metaphor of a sea voyage to depict the journey through the world of work, Whyte views work not only as a means of support, but as a means for interacting with the world and developing self-expression and identity...An abundance of provocative ideas... thoughtful readers will wholeheart-edly savor this book." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

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