William Damon, a Stanford psychologist and author, discusses the impactful practice of a life review. He reveals how looking back can help clarify one's present and future. Damon shares his personal journey of uncovering his father's complex life, leading to insights about self-discovery and transformation. He emphasizes the importance of family connections and confronting past regrets to foster growth. The conversation highlights how intentional reflection can refine one's life purpose and enhance overall well-being.
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Life Review for Purpose
Conduct a life review to understand your past and present self.
Use it to make better choices about your future and find new purposes.
insights INSIGHT
Butler's Life Review
Robert Butler developed the life review method to help depressed patients.
He believed a systematic review of one's life could combat negativity and promote meaning.
insights INSIGHT
The Past's Impact
The past isn't dead; it shapes who we are.
Coming to terms with the past is crucial for an authentic self-view and future direction.
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In "The Path to Purpose," Ryan Denison explores the biblical concept of purpose, guiding readers toward a life of meaning and fulfillment. The book delves into the various facets of purpose, examining how it relates to faith, vocation, and relationships. Denison provides practical insights and scriptural guidance to help individuals discover and live out their God-given purpose. He emphasizes the importance of aligning one's life with God's plan, fostering a sense of belonging and contribution to the world. The book offers a comprehensive framework for understanding and embracing one's unique purpose in life.
A Round of Golf with My Father
A Round of Golf with My Father
The New Psychology of Exploring Your Past to Make Peace With Your Present
William Damon
William Damon's "A Round of Golf with My Father" explores the concept of life review as a tool for self-discovery and purpose. The book intertwines a personal memoir with psychological insights, detailing Damon's journey of understanding his father's life. Through meticulous research and reflection, Damon reveals how examining the past can foster gratitude and shape future goals. The narrative highlights the importance of confronting regrets and embracing the complexities of life's journey. Ultimately, the book offers a practical guide to conducting a life review and finding meaning in one's experiences.
Who and where do you want to be in the future? It's a question we typically answer by looking ahead. But, my guest would say, you can actually best find the answer by looking back.
His name is William Damon, and he's a Stanford psychologist who studies adult development and purpose, and the author of A Round of Golf With My Father: The New Psychology of Exploring Your Past to Make Peace With Your Present. On the show today, Bill explains why you should consider doing something called a "life review," a process you can initiate at any age in order to get greater clarity on what is now probably a blur of memories around how you ended up who and where you are today. Bill explains the steps of doing a life review, and how doing one can do two things for you: 1) help you think more positively and gratefully about your life story — even its regrets — and understand why you made certain choices and developed as you did, and 2) help you refine your life's purpose, recognize that you can change and grow no matter where you are in the life cycle, and chart a course for further development in the future. Bill does this through the lens of the fascinating story around how he came to do his own life review, in order to better get to know himself, by getting to know his father, who he was told growing up was killed in World War II, but, Bill would discover, in fact survived the war and led a more complex life than Bill could have imagined.
The Art of Manliness 