Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Week 4: "Hands" — The Work of Coming Back
Read the chapter "Hands" in Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Previewing Week 4 of Present Over Perfect
Read 3 of 6 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 22-week guide when you’re ready.
Niequist finds her way back to herself partly through the physical — through cooking, making, touching the world with her hands — and this chapter is an invitation to consider what embodied, unhurried work might mean for you.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Niequist describes how she rediscovered life through physical, tactile work — specifically cooking. What does that kind of grounding, sensory activity look like for you? Is there something you do with your hands that brings you back to yourself?
2.She draws a contrast between work that is performed for an audience and work that is done for its own sake, for love. How much of your work — paid or unpaid — falls into each category?
3.There is something countercultural about slowing down enough to make something — a meal, a garden, a piece of art. What makes that kind of slowness difficult in your current life? What would need to change to make room for it?