In December, I received Dr. Susan L. Reid’s Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Journey to Business Success for review and was invited to join in the virtual book tour planned by WME Books. Although normally I might not have agreed, there was something about this book and the timing as it came into my life that made me take a second look.
Warning: if you don’t have what I call an Inner Californian — someone who resonates with new agey ideas, who wants to believe that things happen for a reason, who occasionally enjoys suspending the rationalist mindset — this book probably isn’t for you.
Business coach Reid proposes the idea of the “Accidental Pren-her,” a woman who stumbles into running her own business without anticipating doing so. Reid offers anecdotes and practical advice along with plenty of inspiration for women who start on an entrepreneurial journey with little or no idea how to find success.
Some aspects of the book didn’t appeal to the rational part of me: the double mention of The Secret on the cover, the invocation of the Law of Attraction that says “you get what you think about,” and statements like “Everything that happens in your life happens for a reason, for your higher good and greater well-being, even if you don’t recognize it as such at the time.”
But I let my Inner Californian take over, and I found encouragement and insight. Many of the ideas in the book aligned with themes from my book Connect! A Guide to a New Way of Working: valuing authenticity, building on organic career growth and serendipity rather than relying solely on detailed and mechanistic planning, and focusing action and attention on the present moment.
Reid invokes my favorite frame for thinking about career planning and progress: Joseph Campbell’s idea of the hero’s journey, a story structure you can use to make sense of how events in your life unfold. Many myths and stories use the hero’s journey as a template: the hero is called to adventure, leaves ordinary society to experience a period of trials, then returns with new knowledge or some other “boon” with which she can herself change society.
Could the arrival of this book in my life have been part of the call to adventure as I rethink my work life? My Inner Californian likes to think so.
12 Comments
I also found it helpful that Susan applied “The Hero’s Journey” to the process of forging out on your own in business. Although I live in the Northeast, I also have an “Inner Californian” who resonates with this book. I’ve found that, once I got the hang of consulting what Susan calls my “Inner Samurai” regarding my voiceover business, I began to get answers to my questions… and they always proved correct.
Hi Mary Ellen -
I came across the same idea of the “self that knows” — Reid’s inner samurai — in Zander and Zander’s The Art of Possibility. They distinguish between the “central self” (the one answering your questions) and the “calculated self” (the one that constructs itself to meet what it perceives as society’s demands).
Not sure I am able to get answers yet from my central self/inner samurai, but I like the idea of trying to do that.
Thanks for your comment.
Anne, you mention the common themes of valuing authenticity, building on organic career growth and serendipity rather than relying solely on detailed and mechanistic planning. I find that when I value authenticity and anticipate serendipity I have much more fun in my business. It becomes that call to adventure-where I can’t wait to see how things unfold.
Anne, thank you, so very much, for stepping outside your comfort zone to read and review my book. I appreciate that you honored the timing of this book coming into your life, and that you allowed your Inner Californian to come forth.
I do take issue with the concept that this book is new agey. Rather, the foundational philosophy of this book is Zen Buddhism. So, spiritual, yes. New agey, not so much.
The Heroine’s Journey is one of my favoirte chapters, too. We all owe Joseph Campbell a debt of gratitude for his research into and synthesization of world mythology.
Marelene, I like the call to adventure, too. I like see how things unfold, and by doing so, am reminded of how beautiful the journey is.
Hi Susan:
Thanks for your great book! Truly inspirational. I especially loved the idea of two priorities — one month. Such a powerful way to approach what’s important.
I don’t think of “new agey” as necessarily bad — I’ve always loved Shakti Gawain’s books, for example.
Since the cover of your book mentions The Secret twice along with the law of attraction, that suggested to me a new age bent. I haven’t read The Secret myself, but from what I know of it, it strikes me as new age rather than Zen Buddhist.
I’ve been an armchair Buddhist for a long time now and I do definitely see some Buddhist underpinnings in the ideas in Discovering Your Inner Samurai. I see more than that too. I see ideas and practices relevant to a Western world where we value individualism and authenticity and achievement and doing rather than being. That’s where, for me, it looks “new agey” for lack of a better word.
I called out the warning because many of my friends/readers are technologists like me, with a super-rational viewpoint. I didn’t mean it as a criticism. I find it unfortunate that so many good ideas can be dismissed just by saying that they’re “new age” or “self help.” Those aren’t necessarily bad things.
Thanks again for your book, and thanks to Greg and Yvonne for inviting me on the tour. There is a real feeling of energy around it.
Marlene: I absolutely agree that valuing authenticity and following serendipity make for a fun work/business life. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
There’s nothing new age about this book or The Secret, really. The concepts have been around forever. Listening to and trusting your own inner guidance along your hero’s journey can produce miraculous results, even as you encounter obstacles along the way. (See Lord of the Rings)
I think Rhonda Byrne did a tremendous job of starting the conversation. Introducing the masses to the idea that their thoughts create their lives is a good thing. Living “The Secret” and making it work for you in a positive way is a matter of daily focus and growth. This is where Susan’s book, and her coaching services are tremendously helpful.
Susan understands the way energy works. She can take what looks like an unorganized pile of passions and turn them into a viable and successful business. Along the way, the “Accidental Pren-her” falls in love with herself and her life. And THAT is the essence of The Secret.
Hi Dana,
“New age” doesn’t imply there’s no usage of old ideas — in fact, it usually refers to an eclectic modern synthesis of past spiritual ideas. Also, The Secret is on the bestseller list for New Age on Amazon.
But it doesn’t much matter whether this book and The Secret are called “new age” or not. The fact that they have some shared DNA is important for potential readers to know.
As a Californian, I love the “Inner Californian” reference. Never heard that one before
I also resonate with the Hero’s Journey metaphor with the twists and turns along the way.
This new age thread has brought up a salient point to ponder: Is “new agey” a negative or positive term. I think it’s rather like the word “god.” Because of pre-conceived and pre-conditioned responses to the word god, we often have an emotional response to that word that obliterates objectivity.
Indeed, as you said, I, too find it “unfortunate that so many good ideas can be dismissed just by saying that they’re ‘new age’ or ’self help.’”
Thanks for providing a forum for discussion. Can’t wait to hear more from your readers!
I like “Inner Californian” too, Carol. It’s a fun phrase I know I’ll use in the future.