The Square Peg

I wondered how a man could effectively write about what "the happiest and most successful women do differently", but a few pages into this book it was clear Buckingham knew what he was talking about, and I was going to reap the benefit of his knowledge.

I used to feel guilty when I couldn't effectively balance the areas of work and home life and believed my problem could be corrected with more discipline and better time management. Now I realize I was pursuing something I was never going to achieve, much less maintain. Buckingham reveals what a strong, happy woman's life actually looks like, what a weakness really is, and how intentionally creating perfect imbalance can bring peace and clarity to a stressful and chaotic life.

Taking the Strong Life Test revealed the lead role I was born to play is that of Creator and my supporting role is Advisor. After reading the descriptions of both I thought "holy cow, you mean all the idiosyncrasies I thought were personality flaws really mean something? And they're useful?!" Marcus Buckingham had just set me free somehow. This wasn't the only "aha!" moment I had when reading this book; there were several.

I plan to go back to school after we get settled in Germany next year and I've been struggling to narrow down the field of study I think I'd most enjoy. Armed with the information I gained from this book, I am confident I will make the right choice.

Who can benefit from reading this book? Stay-at-home moms/wives, homeschooling moms, women working outside the home, and the men who love them. While the book is aimed at women, almost all of what Buckingham writes is applicable to men as well. I highly recommend it.

You can order your copy here.