SoulTypes: Decode Your Spiritual DNA to Create a Life of Authenticity, Joy, and Grace

Find the Spiritual Path and Style That’s Right for You

We are all wired for God, but our needs, inclinations, and personalities are all different. Using the metaphor of "spiritual DNA," SoulTypes will help you assess your own inborn qualities and find a spiritual path that will support your quest for a richer, fuller, more integrated life.

If you consider yourself spiritual but not religious, SoulTypes will help you discover just what works for you. With its unique inventory and assessment tools to guide you, you’ll discover your spiritual type and find the answers to the most profound questions:

Who am I? What is my authentic identity? What’s important to me? What are my values, my gifts, my passions? Why am I here? What is my purpose or mission in life? Where am I going? What is my vision of my future?

The SoulType processes will help you find your unique answer for these questions, and then turn to the most crucial question: how do I get from where I am to where I want to be?

"If you have been bewildered by the glut of writings about spirituality, Norton and Southern’s book offers a voice of clarity. SoulTypes helps us to sort out who we are, what we value, and where to look for spiritual nourishment. This book is a must–read for every seeker who longs to deepen their journey."
Lauren Artress, Canon for Special Ministries, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco; author, Walking a Sacred Path; Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction: Cracking Your Soul s Code.

PART I: Wired for God.

Discovering Your Spiritual DNA.

1. The Inescapable Conclusion: You re Wired for God!

2. Who Are You? Discovering Your Spiritual Identity.

3. What s Important to You? Identifying Your Core Values.

4. Why Are You Here? Finding Your Unique Life s Purpose.

5. Where Do You Want to Go in Your Life? Creating Your Vision for the Future.

PART II: Understanding Your Soul Type.

Assessments and Practices.

6. Heart–Centered Spirituality: The Practice of Gratitude.

7. Soul–Centered Spirituality: The Practice of Contemplation.

8. Mind–Centered Spirituality: The Practice of Awareness.

9. Strength–Centered Spirituality: The Practice of Commitment.

PART III: I Know Where I m Going.

Your Life Map.

10. Constructing Your Life Map.

Epilogue: Follow Your Bliss!

Resources.

Bibliography.

The Authors.

Index.

Robert Norton and Richard Southern have taught the principles of SoulTypes to thousands of seekers. They are also principals in Church Development Systems, a nonprofit organization and national consulting practice.

God is hardwired into the human brain, write Norton and Southern, consultants for faith–based nonprofit organizations, who believe each person has a distinctive spiritual DNA complete with a code that can be cracked in part by determining a person s values, purpose and vision. By answering a series of questions that the authors pose throughout the book, readers can identify their soul type, one of four dominant ways in which they best express their spirituality: heart–centered, through gratitude and joyfulness; soul–centered, through contemplative practices and mysticism; mind–centered, through awareness and intellectual pursuit; and strength–centered, through commitment and service. The outcome is a life map that incorporates what readers have learned as they worked through the book and a strategy for practicing spirituality by developing their soul types. What sets this manual apart from the recent abundance of life mapping books other than its emphasis on spirituality is its refreshing simplicity and practicality. The authors guide readers through the process of determin ing their values, purpose and vision, and wisely reduce each soul type to its essence, offering a clear and full description in few words. People put off by complex and time–consuming life–mapping strategies are likely to find this one less daunting and more helpful. And though the authors don t specifically address this, an awareness of the four soul types might benefit people of faith and their leaders in understanding each other s approach to spirituality. (Mar. 26) ( Publishers Weekly, February 23, 2004)