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Having previously read and enjoyed a number of James Hollis's books, I was excited to read his newest work: A Life of Meaning: Relocating your Center of Spiritual Gravity. It provides a rich introduction to his oeuvre, focused here on listening to the wholeness of psyche to know one's authentic self in the second half of life. Hollis offers thought-provoking questions that can guide the journey of self-discovery.
I found this book accessible and encouraging. Hollis explains complex ideas in easy-to-understand terms. He acknowledges the role of suffering throughout the human experience, from childhood through old age, while simultaneously providing inspiration for readers to confront the challenge that individuation demands. The last two chapters, focusing specifically on ageing and mortality, are imbued with Hollis's personal energy and a subtle sense of urgency. Writing this book at 82 years old, he is sharing his personal philosophy and life's work with us. Reviewing parts of his journey with personal and professional anecdotes, he offers himself as a role model of the message he is conveying—the transformative value of reflecting on the past, asking questions about what matters, listening to psyche and engaging fully with what each stage of life is asking of us. The author helps the reader connect with the mystery of life's journey in this archetypal quest. His Jungian lens is supplemented by references to spiritual leaders, poets, and philosophers who also have grappled with what it means to live a meaningful life.
Hollis shows how the messages of our upbringing shape and impact us throughout life. We need to become conscious of our history to separate from it and advance on our life journey. “Gaining a sense of worth and recovering personal authority thus becomes the single most important task in the second half of life” (p. 10). Psyche orchestrates a mid-life transition to guide us towards the discovery of our transcendent Self, enabling us to live an ever large