“Living in the place you belong, with the people you love, doing the right work, on purpose.” This is how Richard Leider and David Shapiro define “the good life.” Technological advances, economic shifts, and longer life spans mean most of us will need to repeatedly reimagine our lives. In this wise and practical guide, Leider and Shapiro help you weigh all that you’re carrying, leverage what helps you live well, and let go of those burdens that merely weigh you down.
This third edition has been thoroughly revised with new stories and practices to help you repack your four critical “bags” (place, relationship, work, and purpose); identify your gifts, passions, and values; and plan your journey, no matter where you are in life.
Review
“A marvelous blend of wisdom, inspiration, and hope. A timely book with a timeless message, I recommend it to anyone interested in living a good life.” —Walter F. Mondale, former Vice President of the United States
“Whether you’re starting out on your journey or are well along the way, this classic book will give you the knowledge, insight, and inspiration you’ll need for the trip.” —Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind
“Our lives today unfold like spirals instead of along predictable lines. This is the essential guide for negotiating the twists and turns. More timely than ever. Clear, life changing, compelling.” —Sally Helgesen, coauthor of The Female Vision and author of The Female Advantage and The Web of Inclusion
“This is a practical and inspirational guide to finding joy and fulfillment at any stage of life by challenging your assumptions and using your gifts and passions to make a difference in the world.” —Jonathan T. M. Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International
“Richard Leider and David Shapiro know that the world is spinning faster and faster. We need to travel with lighter and lighter baggage each year. So they’ve repacked their book to help us repack our bags.” —Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?
“So often in our lives we approach that ‘next chapter.’ Now we have an extraordinary guidebook. Required reading for all those who seek meaning and fulfillment in their lives.” —John Hendricks, founder and Chairman, Discovery Channel and Discovery Communications
“This book is both profound and simple, timely and timeless. It speaks from experience and to the heart. We can all learn from it and we should all read it and we should all say ‘thank you’ to its authors. It’s that special and that essential.” —Alan M. Webber, cofounder, Fast Company magazine, and author of Rules of Thumb
“Repacking Your Bags inspires all of us with its vision and is a great guidebook for the good life.” —Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
“At a time when people have the opportunity to pursue multiple careers and live in different locations over a lifetime, this book is a guide to finding more happiness, satisfaction, and purpose along the way. It can change your life—for the better!” —Stephan Rechtschaffen, MD, cofounder, Omega Institute, and founder, Blue Spirit Costa Rica
“This new edition holds the key to rethinking your life and its purpose and having the courage to follow your inner compass. Repacking could transform your life.” —Bill George, Professor, Harvard Business School; former Chair and CEO, Medtronic; and bestselling author of True North and True North Groups
“This book will help you figure out what really matters in life—and what doesn’t matter! This new edition makes a fantastic book even better.” —Marshall Goldsmith, PhD, bestselling author of Mojo and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
“If you want to make your life thrive in a deeply purposeful way and live longer and better, you will love this book.” —Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones and Thrive
“Few books are as transformative as this one. The insights gained in Repacking Your Bags have changed my own life forever.” —Tom Kolditz, PhD, Brigadier General (retired), former Head, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, West Point; and Professor, Practice Management, and Director, Leader Development Program, Yale School of Management
“Repacking Your Bags captures the essence of achieving a good, happily playful, and meaningful life and connects us to our design as humans to ‘play’ seriously with our destiny. A necessary read!” —Stuart L. Brown, MD, founder and President, The National Institute for Play, and author of Play
“In these times of complex personal and societal changes, Repacking Your Bags is an invaluable guide to the architecture of embodying a life of meaning and purpose. I unequivocally recommend this pragmatic and elegant book to those, of all ages, who are moving into the next chapter of their lives.” —Richard Strozzi-Heckler, PhD, President, Strozzi Institute, and author of The Leadership Dojo
“Richard and David have a wonderful knack for storytelling. This special book is a great companion for the journeys we all continue to take in our lives.” —Beverly Kaye, founder and CEO, Career Systems International, and bestselling coauthor of Love ’Em or Lose ’Em
“Repacking Your Bags is a living, breathing, ever-relevant classic. Leider and Shapiro provide the profound yet pragmatic navigation tools to lighten your load, awaken your spirit, and ignite your passionate purpose.” —Kevin Cashman, bestselling author of Leadership from the Inside Out
“Leider and Shapiro have done it again. A powerful tool and support for anyone contemplating life’s important questions.” —Pamela McLean, PhD, CEO, The Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara
“Repacking Your Bags is an indispensable companion during life’s many transitions and one of the rare books that I have read and reread many times.” —Mary Jo Kreitzer, PhD, RN, founder and Director, University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing
“Repacking Your Bags is your essential guide to reimagine the next chapter in your life. It is a compass to find the direction of your personal journey.” —Alex von Bidder, CEO and co-owner, Four Seasons Restaurant, New York City, and Executive Coach
“Richard Leider and David Shapiro lead us on a personal journey that contains just the right mixture of grace, realism, and hope for a more peaceful and productive future.” —Larry C. Spears, President, The Spears Center for Servant-Leadership
“Leider and Shapiro remind us that staying vital, in the present, and hopeful for the future are lifelong activities that demand reflection and determined action. This is a manual for every leader or aspiring agent of change.” —Clive A. Meanwell, MD, founder, The Medicines Company
About the Author
Richard J. Leider is founder of the Inventure Group and is consistently rated as one of the top executive coaches in the world. He is a senior fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing and author or coauthor of seven other books.
David A. Shapiro is a faculty member at Cascadia Community College and the education director of the Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children. He is author or coauthor of four other books.
