Living with Intent: My Somewhat Messy Journey to Purpose, Peace, and Joy

In this self-help memoir, Chopra (100 Promises To My Baby) chronicles her year-long exploration of intent—namely, the intention to live a more meaningful life. Intent here also refers to her website (intent.com) and blog (intentblog.com), and as an acronym for “incubate, notice, trust, express, nurture, and take action,” the stages of her journey. She devotes a chapter with reflections and practices to the lessons of each step, along with a “cheat sheet,” journal pages, and graphic organizers. She also includes words of wisdom from famous healers including Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, and Deepak Chopra (her father). Despite Chopra’s family fame, she comes across as a relatable working mom, forever pulled in several directions at once and feeling “guilty about giving something short shrift.” Readers will probably welcome the news that even she struggles to integrate meditation, healthy eating, and regular exercise into her routines. The underlying question plaguing her is also familiar: how to balance personal desires against family and cultural pressure to “fulfill larger-than-life intents.” There’s nothing groundbreaking in Chopra’s memoir, but it’s enjoyable all the same. [em]Agent: Linda Loewenthal, David Black Agency. (Apr.) [/em]