The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck. Book review by Duffythewriter

The Way of Integrity is a guide to discovering your true self and the pure peace that is your birthright.

This radiant book will not only change your life, but perhaps even save it’ Elizabeth Gilbert

‘Martha Beck’s genius is that her writing is equal parts comforting and challenging. A teacher, a mother, a sage, she holds our hand as she leads us back home to ourselves’ Glennon Doyle

Bestselling author, life coach and sociologist Martha Beck explains why ‘integrity’ – being in harmony with ourselves – is the key to a meaningful and joyful life

In The Way of Integrity, Beck presents a four-stage process that anyone can use to find integrity, and with it, a sense of purpose, emotional healing, and a life free of mental suffering. Much of what plagues us people-pleasing, staying in stale relationships, negative habits-all point to what happens when we are out of touch with what truly makes us feel whole.

Inspired by The Divine Comedy, Beck uses Dante’s classic hero’s journey as a framework to break down the process of attaining personal integrity into small, manageable steps. She shows how to read our internal signals that lead us towards our true path, and to recognize what we actually yearn for versus what our culture sells us.

With techniques tested on hundreds of her clients, Beck brings her expertise as a social scientist, life coach and human being to help readers to uncover what integrity looks like in their own lives. She takes us on a spiritual adventure that not only will change the direction of our lives, but bring us to a place of genuine happiness.

Duffy’s thoughts on The Way of Integrity

So, let’s get straight into it. A LOT is going on in The Way of Integrity. Martha Beck has not only led one hell of a life (from conservative Mormon to lesbian self-care and life coach superpower), she’s also written a self-care book based on The Divine Comedy. It can’t work, can it?

I kinda feel like it did!

Each chapter is set to a part of Dante’s Inferno. The dark wood of error, inferno, purgatory, and paradise. Martha Beck walks you through each of these chapters using real-life examples from people who have come to her for life-coaching help and Martha’s own experiences, particularly her internal conflict of being a dutiful Mormon yet wanting to live a life in tune with her own integrity and soul values.

At the end of each chapter, there are exercises to complete, and the first is all about how deep you are in the ‘dark wood of error’. Thankfully, for me, I’m not overwhelmed with struggles and major issues to overcome. However, I found myself lingering and re-reading parts on self-sabotage and feeling obligated to attend events or spend time with people who may not serve my best interests. I certainly say yes when I should say no, just to please others or out of feelings of obligation, which erode time that could be better spent doing things to keep me moving forward and that I really enjoy doing. It was the little A-Ha! moment I needed to read.

The Way of Integrity isn’t solely about working on yourself. For example; Beck touches on the ‘vicious cycle of violence’, and I found this part of the book really helpful not only to understand toxic and draining personalities which pop up around me from time to time, but also how these behaviours, en mass, perpetuate a negative cycle for large portions of the population. You know the masses on social media who never listen and have belief systems not based on fact? Just in hate? Yeah, htose guys.

If you feel like you’re struggling with feelings of failure or overwhelm, The Way of Integrity could help you out of your rut. If you are generally happy but feel like there may be something missing or have periods of anxiety or sadness which you can’t quite put your finger on, this book could also be for you. It’s a great distraction, time-out and guide to navigating you out of those dark woods by taking small yet powerful one degree turns to find your own path to integrity.

Grab your copy of The Way of Integrity today and check out Duffy’s other self-care book reviews and work on your mind and spiritual health. After all, it is Mindful May!

the path of integrity book review by duffythewriter
Available now from Booktopia and all good book shops published by Hachette