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By Sunita Sehmi, Walk The Talk
Now the summer holidays are officially over, the traffic jams are slowly surfacing back into town and the long queues in the “papeterie” can only mean one thing….Yep, “la rentree” is in full swing!
The new school term has always evoked strong feelings of change in me, both as a mum and as a former teacher. I often used this time to notice the changes in my pupils and indeed my own growth and development. I truly found this period very illuminating and constructive. Not only because I was observing my situation through renewed thoughts and feelings but also because I recognized that the change within me each “rentree” would allow me to progress and go forward.
Indeed, change is the topic I would like to share with you in this month’s blog installment as I have just finished an exceptional book by John Purkiss, entitled “Change from Within.” *
The book begins by emphasizing that when we look at our lives we often see things we would like to change. This could be a variety of things, such as health, relationships, career or finances. Typically, there are two main approaches open to us, according to John. These are to try to make things happen or conversely to determine that what is happening is beyond our control, (which we subsequently label as wrong and give up trying to do anything about it.) The author through his own experiences, research and reading skillfully offers an alternative approach, based on the principle that change comes from within.
The book draws on over 4,000 years of work in the field of personal development, ranging from Eastern philosophy to Western psychology and Californian self-help. Furthermore, this book is written in plain English! It is for people of all religions and all backgrounds. The beauty of this book is that it explains what works in practice, so you can make it work for you.
One of the exercises in Chapter 4 "Accepting yourself allows you to move forward," I personally found it particularly useful. It goes like this…Take a blank sheet of paper. On the left hand side make a list of people you find most annoying. You can use both named individuals and types of people. The second step is to write what you find most annoying to the right of each person or type of person. The results are quite revealing. I found that when I did this exercise what annoyed me about my list of people was actually a projection of something I had suppressed unknowingly.
"Your world is a reflection of you," as John puts it and “when we work on ourselves, the world changes.” This is the true essence of the book; we have to look inside ourselves first and foremost to create real change.
Change From Within is one of the most compact and comprehensive books that I have read on ego, acceptance and change. It is an excellent and vital resource for anyone who is seeking change and true inner transformation.
I believe that the exercises in the book are indispensable business tools for any manager or leader who desires change in themselves, their team and their organisations. I strongly recommend it!!
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi
* Change from Within by John Purkiss is not available yet. I was kindly given a copy by the author.
However, when you click on the link below you will be able to get your free excerpt from Chapter One: Being Present Will Change Your Life. They will send you a free excerpt now.
http://changefromwithin.net/chapter-headings/
In addition should you join the mailing list, they will notify you as soon as Change From Within is published.
Reference: Change from within (Paperback) by John Purkiss
Bio
Sunita has a passion for helping individuals, teams and companies to maximize their potential. With over 20 years experience both in the UK & Switzerland, she created Walk The Talk, with the sole aim, to help professionals improve their Business Communication Skills. She is of Indian origin but was born and raised in Britain before she moved to Geneva in 1991. She has a Psychology background, (specializing in Occupational Psychology) and a Post Graduate in the Development and Training of Adults from the University of Surrey. Furthermore, she recently completed a Masters of Advanced Studies in "Gestion des RH et des Carrières," (Specialising in Career Management and Coaching), at the Universities of Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchatel & Fribourg.
Having successfully worked and operated in different cultures and languages, Sunita's strength lies in her ability to totally empathize with her clients and help them to perform their best.
