SOULBBATICAL

A corporate executive offers an account of her journey to find her true soul.

This debut memoir couldn’t be timelier: As American businesses flounder under the weight of a pandemic and society suffers upheaval, it seems perfectly appropriate to question one’s own trajectory. Approaching age 50, Paxton decided to follow a boldly unconventional path by leaving an executive-level position at a large corporation to take a “soulbbatical”—her cleverly devised term for an extended period of self-discovery. The book is divided into four distinct sections (Fulfillment, Authenticity, Courage, and Purpose), but it is essentially a memoir with a strong connecting thread from chapter to chapter. Peppered with salty language that Paxton admits is “raw, from the soul,” the volume traces the author’s experiences, pre- and post-corporate life, until she became aware that, once she helped herself, her end goal was aiding others. It is compelling to look over Paxton’s shoulder as she agonizes about her awakening, a realization that there is more to life than her career. Plenty of soul-searching ensued, both before and after the author departed her high-powered marketing position at Harley-Davidson (that’s important, because later in the book, riding a motorcycle becomes symbolic). In order to make her own experiences instructional to readers, Paxton ends each section with “Soul Search,” a series of reflection questions that are “not meant to confirm your existing beliefs; rather, they’re designed to stir up what’s deep inside you.” She exhorts readers to employ a “S.O.U.L. Process…Show up.…Own it.…Unleash it.…Live it.” Gimmicky, yes, but apt. Paxton’s introspective journey literally took her across the globe—from the Midwest to New Zealand and back—in search of her next phase. This aspect in particular may stretch the credulity of those without the financial security afforded the author. Still, her fervor is palpable: The courage it took for Paxton to detach from corporate life, the fear and uncertainty she candidly reveals, and the verve and vitality of her prose all serve to make this a most memorable book.

An honest, emotionally gut-wrenching, and ultimately soul-satisfying memoir.