Pamela Larde, Ph.D., a professor in the Anderson University Center for Leadership and Organizations, has published her latest book, Joyfully Single: A Revolutionary Guide for Enlightenment, Wholeness, and Change, which will become available October 1, 2023.
Dr. Larde’s book explores singleness among people over 30 and societal misconceptions associated with it. At the same time, Joyfully Single encourages those who are single, regardless of their circumstances, to embrace who they are and live with purpose.
“I don’t address how to date in the book, because that’s not what the book is about,” Dr. Larde said. “I do address what it means now that you’re in the situation that you’re single and there’s sometimes a negative connotation put on that.”
Dr. Larde talks about issues confronting single individuals of various generations, exploring the complexities of divorce, dating and ever-changing societal norms, how the COVID pandemic has affected singles, and also the striking differences between perceptions of single men and single women, as well as how each deals with their own singlehood differently.
Dr. Larde says that she found writing Joyfully Single both gratifying and challenging.
“Challenging, because there are my own stories. Some ways that I’m giving some of my own stories; it’s gratifying because I feel like I’m helping a population of people who really, really need it,” she said. “I’ve engaged in a lot of interviews and conversations and I’ve heard the way people are suffering, men and women, being single, because sometimes people come into being single. In fact, as soon as I finished writing this book, someone very close to me lost his fiancée. She died suddenly. And so I’ve talked to people who have lost people to the pandemic and injustice. So there’s a lot of sadness and really tough emotions people are navigating through, their being single. The gratifying part was knowing that I can help people through some of that.”
Joyfully Single also explores what scripture says about singlehood, such as I Corinthians, 7:8-9, in which the Apostle Paul wrote to the unmarried and the widows, “it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they can’t exercise self control they should marry…”
Dr. Larde describes her takeaway point from Paul.
“Here’s what I learned. When you are steeped in purpose and knee deep in discovering yourself while single, it is best not to distract that process by spending all of your time, focus and energy on the pursuit of a spouse. It is best not to marry if it is only for the sake of marrying. It is best not to marry if you’re living in a state of toxic or malicious joy. It is best not to marry if you’re settling for a situation that doesn’t bring you joy. It is best not to marry if you’re doing it for the fear of never marrying. This is the time to dive into the joy of singlehood. I believe this is why Paul takes the stance, not because marriage is bad or for the weak, but because the vision and focus of a married couple are vastly different from the vision and focus of someone who is single. Our possibilities are different, the way we move is different, our impact is different.”
Pre-orders have opened for Joyfully Single: A Revolutionary Guide for Enlightenment, Wholeness, and Change, which will be released in October. Dr. Larde has a book tour planned for September in her home base of Atlanta as well as Los Angeles, New York and Milwaukee, where copies of her book will also be available for purchase.
In addition to being a professor at Anderson University, Dr. Larde is a certified coach, award-winning author and business owner. She is committed to engaging in the work of advancing the reach and commitment of the coaching profession to serve and build up heart-centered leaders around the world.
“I love that our faculty work at the highest levels of peer-reviewed scholarship and the equally important level of public scholarship. Dr. Larde’s book is a sign of what great teachers do—they know their fields of study yet are always finding ways to connect with the broader public to make an impact. This is Dr. Larde’s natural way of engaging the world as a professor and a Christian,” said Dr. Kyle Small, professor of leadership and director of the Anderson University Center for Leadership and Organizations.
The Anderson University Center for Leadership and Organizations is an innovative program specifically designed to equip individuals for the highest level of scholarship and leadership in business, ministry, education, public service, healthcare, and non-profit organizations. Details about the center’s programs can be found online.