Interview for 'My Track To Success' 01/08/2015

​1. Tell me about yourself.

I am a writer, coach and author from England, and for the past four years I have been writing about different areas of psychology, communication and poetry. I got into self development back in 2013, and the first book I read was ‘You can heal your life’ by Louise L Hay.

Towards the end of 2008, I started writing a journal after Dov Baron (a mentor of mine) spoke about the benefits of having one. After havng one for about two years, I started to write articles and this then lead to me writing books and having videos made.

2. Why do you believe that self-development is important?

I believe it is important because growth doesn’t ‘just happen’, and in order for someone to progress, they will need to work on themselves. This is not to say that someone has to read books in order for this to take place though, as there are many ways for someone to develop themselves.

3. How has self-development improved your life?

It has improved my life in many ways. One of the ways in which it has done this is through allowing me to gain a greater understanding of myself. And if I hadn’t taken the steps to develop myself, I’m not sure what my life would be like now.

4. How do you help others improve their lives through self-development?

One of the main ways I do this is through awareness; being a catalyst to others. When someone reads what I have written, they may end up with a new perspective or receive some kind of validation for what they are going through, and this may then allow them to move forward.

5. What are some techniques you could recommend to overcome fear/anxiety?

I would say that this depends on the person and what their situation is. It might be a case of pushing through their fear or they may need to work with a therapist, for instance.

And when it comes to anxiety, it can depend on how much of a problem this is for someone. One thing that can cause someone to experience anxiety is toxic shame, and if they are carrying toxic shame, they may need to seek professional assistance.

6. What are some techniques you could recommend to overcome social anxiety? 

Again, I would say that it would be important to look at what is taking place for someone. Having said that, not everyone wants to look deeper, and this means there is often the need for a quick fix.

In this case, I would recommend that they spend time socialising on a regular basis; this will allow them to start to feel comfortable around others. They may also need to learn about their mind, communication and body language, for instance.

7. Do you think that patience is a virtue? 

I would say that there are times when it will be important for someone to be patient. In today’s world, where the need for instant gratification is so common, patience is often seen as a vice.

This is not to say that it is not important be impatient, but if someone is unable to wait, it is bound to have a negative effect on their life. For example: if someone is hungry, there is a strong chance they will be able to have something to eat without needing to wait, however,  when it comes to achieving something significant, there is a good chance that they will need to be patient, and this is because they won’t attain it overnight.

8. Do you think that taking action is the only way to really improve one’s self? Why or why not?

I would say that taking action is vital. If there is no action, there is not much chance of anything happening. This is not to say that inner-reflection is not important and that someone should turn into a robot.

For instance, on one side there will be the planning and on the other, there will be what someone needs to do to make those plans a reality.

9. What is your favourite quote? Could you describe why this is your favourite quote?

I don’t have a favourite quote, but I do have one that I like at the moment, and that is one by Carl Jung - "the unfaced and unfelt parts of our psyche are the source of all our neurosis and suffering." 

When someone has an inner problem, there is often the need to try and change or remove this problem. However, what Carl Jung appears to be talking about is that change is not always about using force and that it can take place through surrendering.

Through getting in touch with those parts of oneself that have been ignored or overlooked, they may be able to let go of what is causing them problems. In this case, they are no longer repressing what is taking place within them; they are embracing it.

10. How often do you research and study material to improve your self-development?

This is usually something that I do every day.