I have read countless books about career and calling, but after a while they start to seem repetitive. I keep reading — looking for that one special piece of inspiration that I can pass on to my clients and coaches and I am happy to report that I found one such evergreen book last year: The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson.

The author, who is a world-renowned education consultant, is someone I met through a TED conference video that a friend sent a while back and I must say I felt a kinship with him immediately. You can see this inspiring talk here:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

In his wonderful book, he tells more stories of people who have found their element while he offers concrete advice for how you can do the same. He defines one’s element as the meeting point between natural aptitude and personal passion. His writing style is fun without being fluffy.  He offers a blend of theory and practical advice. He also offers a hypothesis that resonates with me. Schools often squelch a child’s gifts with an outdated and narrow curriculum and we need to help all children and adults recognize their own “element”.

If you are looking for hope for finding your own passions, buy this book!