On Making Choices by Margaret Silf is a practical and accessible guide to making wiser, more thoughtful decisions in everyday life. Drawing on the wisdom of the Ignatian spiritual tradition, Silf explores how greater self-awareness and discernment can help us distinguish between the countless choices that demand our attention and those that genuinely matter.
Rather than providing rigid rules or promising easy answers, Silf offers simple tools and suggestions designed to make decision-making more focused, fruitful, and less stressful. She encourages readers to recognise where they truly are in life, listen carefully to both inner and external sources of wisdom, and make choices that reflect their deepest values.
The book is structured around five aspects of making choices: identifying which decisions really matter; starting honestly from one's present circumstances; learning to recognise the "signposts" that can provide guidance; choosing in accordance with what is best within us; and finally putting those decisions into practice. Silf also considers what happens when a choice turns out to be wrong and whether it is possible to change direction.
The book explores:
Making thoughtful and meaningful life choices
Christian discernment and Ignatian spirituality
Recognising which decisions truly matter
Developing greater self-awareness
Listening to inner wisdom and external guidance
Turning decisions into practical action
Learning from mistakes and changing direction
Reducing stress and anxiety around decision-making
This title will appeal to readers interested in:
Margaret Silf and Ignatian spirituality
Christian discernment and decision-making
Spiritual direction and personal growth
St Ignatius of Loyola and Jesuit spirituality
Practical Christian living
Prayer, reflection, and self-awareness
Making difficult life choices
Written in short, approachable sections, On Making Choices is particularly suited to readers who want practical spiritual guidance without an overly academic approach. Silf combines insights from centuries-old spiritual traditions with the realities of contemporary life, making the book useful both for personal reflection and as a resource for those involved in spiritual direction or pastoral care.