“If young adults could be guided in the right direction for a life journey of meaning and purpose, we would be grooming the leaders of tomorrow for a better world. This book is the perfect guide.” —Deepak Chopra, MD, FACP, founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing
Although there are endless books on finding a job, this is the first book that presents research-based and tested material to help young people answer the question, What will I do with my life? The Big Picture provides the resources needed to find—and live—a purposeful life. An excellent gift for a graduate or a guide for yourself.
What am I going to do for the rest of my life?
This question is familiar for young people at a turning point—whether it’s facing the end of high school, college, graduate school, or just a dead-end job. Maybe they have the degree they want but don’t know where to start their job search. Perhaps they’re still choosing a major and, given the range—from “Biochemistry” to “Adventure Education”—are lost in the options. Maybe they’re facing a mountain of debt but don’t want to get locked into a job they hate.
While other books might advise writing resumes or preparing for interviews, they only go so far. Young people want more than just another job—they want a life, and a meaningful one at that.
Enter The Big Picture. Created by the leading authority on self-help research and reviewed by over six hundred college students, Dr. Christine B. Whelan’s The Big Picture offers a guide to discovering one’s talents, dreams, and desires that can lead one to a fulfilling career but fulfilling life. It guides young people to take a step back and look at the “big picture” of who they are, what they want, and why they’re here.
Through quizzes and questionnaires which college students have vetted, Whelan guides the reader through “big picture” questions like,
- What are my talents—and how can I use those to help others and create meaning?
- How have my life experiences shaped who I am and what I can give?
- What do I value—and how can I be happy while being true to those values?
Dr. Christine B. Whelan is a clinical professor in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin—Madison and director of MORE: Money, Relationships, and Equality. She is the bestselling author of the acclaimed 10-lecture series Finding Your Purpose, an Audible Original Great Courses program. She is the author of five books, including The Big Picture: A Guide to Finding Your Purpose in Life (Templeton Press, 2016), Generation WTF: From “What the &%#$?” to a Wise, Tenacious and Fearless You (Templeton Press, 2011), Marry Smart: The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to True Love (Simon & Schuster, 2009) and Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women (Simon & Schuster, 2006). She has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and New York Times, among other national outlets. She has appeared live on television programs and radio programs across the nation.
