People You Should Meet: Martha Beck

It's been a while since I've done a People You Should Meet post, but I'm reading so much of Martha Beck's stuff that it doesn't seem fair to keep her to myself. In case you haven't already met her, Martha Beck is an author and life coach who focuses on how to help people live their "right lives" by returning to their inner guidance systems and their wild nature.

I've been learning a lot lately about how to tap into our internal GPS systems amidst the deluge of information that tells us to "do this," "do that," "stop trying," and "try harder." Getting all of those messages, whether they're from our families, friends, or bosses, is maddening, and I've experienced the total confusion that comes as a result of losing touch with the part of me that knows what I need.

Martha helps us remember that we are each more than our rational minds - that we're spiritual beings who experience deep pain when we aren't connected to our true selves or our purpose in life. I love this quote from her book, Steering by Starlight:

You are a natural mystic. All humans are. But given our culture, it's likely that every time your being starts to assume the gentle curve of the mystic's soul, something else - your peers, your parents, your own rational mind - slices into you...forcing you back to the rational shape you're "supposed" to have.

If you need some extra tools for reconnecting with the natural, mystical part of you, I'd encourage you to check out her blog or one of her many books.

A career-related article of hers that I love is called How to Track Your Perfect Career, and it's a great introduction to Martha's philosophy of career development, which I love and use often in my work with coaching clients.

I hope you check her out and are blessed by her work!