There’s nothing like the start of a new year to make one stop and ask, “What am I doing with my life? Am I falling behind? How can I make my life truly matter?” Unfortunately, these are the kinds of questions no motivational Instagram quote can ever hold the answers to.
Arriane Serafico has made it her mission to help you not just answer these questions, but act on them, in Existential Courage: A Survival Guide For Your Existential Crisis (And All The Ones After That), the latest offering from Summit Books.
Arriane is the teacher and founder of The Purposeful Creative, an online learning community where she shares her expertise in human-centered design, development of purpose in life, digital learning, and instructional design. In Existential Courage, Arriane creates a new framework for figuring out your own definition of a fulfilling life, one fortified by her years of experience in the field, supported by existing scientific research, and inspired by her own conversations with and learnings from more than 15,000 students.
Wherever you are in life—whether you’re a twentysomething in a quarter-life rut or a fortysomething dreading midlife—Arriane inspires you to turn your crisis into courage in a structured way. This involves you reframing the questions you’re asking to change your perspective, determining what is important to you and how you can turn it into purpose, and finally taking action on your goals.
Arriane sees the book’s chapters as “practice rooms,” virtual safe spaces through which readers are encouraged to put their learnings to practice. Each chapter is divided into two parts: Perspective, which presents the relevant concepts that will lead readers to more productive mindsets; and Practice, which then challenges them to apply their new learnings through actionable exercises. The lessons and missions can get intense, so each chapter is punctuated by a set of interactive Wildcards, which allows readers to take a breather and reflect.
Arriane has taught over 15,000 students through her online courses on The Purposeful Creative and has given talks and trainings in the Philippines, Morocco, Mexico, and the United States. Before she started teaching full-time, she worked for nonprofit organizations, the Senate of the Philippines, and a social enterprise. Learn more about her at thepurposefulcreative.com and @arrianeserafico on social media.
Existential Courage is now available for P495 in bookstores and on Lazada, making it the perfect companion for anyone who wishes to start the new year with greater courage.
For updates on Existential Courage, visit existential-courage.com, follow @SummitBooks on Facebook and @summit.books on Instagram, and follow the hashtag #ExistentialCourage.