Meet Phil Basten
Writer. Minister. Retired professional counselor. Father. Grandfather. Fellow traveler. Six titles, and at home he still faces, “Can you take the rubbish out?”
Phil has spent much of his life trying to understand people and the strange journey we’re all taking. People, he can understand. The journey? Well, he’d like a word with whoever’s organizing it.
After nearly 50 years of writing and working with others, he has collected plenty of stories and a little wisdom worth passing on. He’s learned that faith matters, laughter helps, and giving your children advice is an excellent way to find out how quickly they can change the subject.
And yes, he still has questions. He used to ask, “Why are we here?” Now it’s, “Why am I in this room?”
— A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Phil Basten’s Writing and Professional Background
Phil has spent nearly five decades working with words and people. The words were easier. You can edit a sentence; try editing a relative. His career has included communications, marketing, sales training, product development, professional counseling, life coaching, and ministry. He also holds an honorary master’s degree in communication design. With all those qualifications, you’d think somebody at home would listen.
Working online since 1998, Phil remembers when a website loaded slowly enough to stop for lunch—and connecting sounded like a robot choking on a harmonica. Through it all, people remained his greatest interest: why we make certain choices, how we recover from setbacks, and what helps us find purpose. Those questions became his books. He’s still looking for answers, but now he can do it sitting down.
— THE WRITING JOURNEY
Faith, Family, and Life Experience
Long before The Timeless Path, Phil was writing marketing campaigns and articles. He also wrote websites and eBooks.
His earlier marketing eBooks include Tell Me a Story, Killer Words and Business Vitamin. He has also written numerous articles and sermons throughout his career.
But The Timeless Path became something different.
Instead of persuading someone to click a button or buy a product, Phil found himself writing about the questions that had followed him through his own life.
What gives life meaning? What happens when the plan falls apart? How do we keep moving when we cannot see what comes next?
This time, the writing became personal.
— MORE THAN THE BOOKS
Family, Faith and Things That Keep Life in Perspective.
Behind the writing is a husband, father, and grandfather whose family has shaped how he sees the world—and regularly tells him when he’s seeing it wrong. Faith remains central to Phil’s outlook. His years in ministry and counseling taught him that when life gets difficult, people need someone willing to listen. Another lecture? They’ve got relatives for that.
That same spirit runs through his writing: room for questions, mistakes, and the occasional wrong turn. Phil understands. He’s taken a few himself, some with such confidence that other people followed him. And there’s room for laughter. If we had to wait for life to make sense, the audience would want its money back.
— The Writing Is Far From Finished. —
The Timeless Path marks the beginning of a new chapter in Phil’s writing life.
The Timeless Path begins a new chapter in Phil’s writing life, bringing together years of experience and a lifetime of questions. Three more books are already in development. His desk is so crowded he’s considering renting space on the dining table. Negotiations with his wife are ongoing. So far, she’s offered him the garage.
There are still stories to tell, questions worth asking, and another step on the path. Phil keeps writing with faith, humor, and the hope of helping others find their way. He doesn’t have all the answers, but he’s making progress. He used to wonder where life was taking him. Now he’d settle for knowing why he went upstairs.
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