Have you known days when you seemed to hum with a love for what you are doing? This is living your dharma, as the yogis would say. How do we hold onto that energized feeling? How do we find a vocation that allows us to bring it forth in the first place? In his capacity as Director of the Institute for Extraordinary Living at the famed Kripalu Center, Stephen Cope has spent years considering dharma's secrets through the lens of yoga's ancient treatise, the Bhagavad Gita. A lengthy "conversation" between a young warrior in crisis and God in disguise, the Gita tells a universal story about the rocky path to finding and embracing one's true calling. In The Great Work of Your Life, Cope shows how it has been a powerful influence in countless lives throughout history--from Harriet Tubman to Jane Goodall, Beethoven to Walt Whitman, Robert Frost to Gandhi and in countless "ordinary lives" and how its message can be an inspiration to us today, too. Aninspiring guide to finding your life's purpose-what spiritual teachers call dharma-through mindfulness and self-exploration. Stephen Cope says that in order to have a fulfilling life you must discover the deep purpose hidden at the very core of your self. The secret to unlocking this mystery, he asserts, can be found in the pages of a two-thousand-year-old spiritual classic called the Bhagavad Gita-an ancient allegory about the path to dharma, told through a timeless dialogue between the fabled archer, Arjuna, and his divine mentor, Krishna. Cope takes readers on a step-by-step tour of this revered tale and highlights well-known Western lives that embody its central principles-including such luminaries as Jane Goodall, Walt Whitman, Susan B. Anthony, John Keats, and Harriet Tubman, along with stories of ordinary people as well. If you're feeling lost in your own life's journey, The Great Work of Your Life may help you to find and to embrace your true calling. Praise for The Great Work of Your Life "Keep a pen and paper handy as you read this remarkable book- It's like an owner's manual for the soul."-Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion "A masterwork . . . You'll find inspiration in these pages. You'll gain a better appreciation of divine guidance and perhaps even understand how you might better hear it in your own life."-Yoga Journal "I am moved and inspired by this book, the clarity and beauty of the lives lived in it, and the timeless dharma it teaches."-Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart "A rich source of contemplation and inspiration that encourages readers . . . to discover and fully pursue their inner self's calling."-Publishers Weekly "Fabulous . . . If you have ever wondered what your purpose is, this book is a great guide to help you on your path."-YogaHara