OWN YOUR OWN SHIFT

A leadership coach lays out a personal transformation plan in this debut manual.

Self-empowerment is the basis for most books in the self-help category, and this lively work follows that pattern. Here, Ruth’s focus is on helping readers make fundamental change, even if it does not come easily: “Wherever we experience the most resistance, either internal or external, to a shift we want to make, that is where we have the greatest growth opportunity.” To facilitate making a major “shift,” the author details a process called “Twelve Stages of Transformative Shift,” borrowed from the workshops she conducts. The stages are lucidly explained in individual chapters, each ending with immersive exercises readers are asked to complete. Such stages as “Surrender,” “Get Clarity,” and “Get Uncomfortable” are not necessarily for the faint of heart, but Ruth is a sensitive, positive instructor whose writing is both inspirational and practical. The text is augmented by examples from her own life and coaching practice. She exhorts readers to work tirelessly on their own behalf, urging them to “learn to trust the fire within” and advising that “there is really no greater freedom or power than realizing we always have choices, and we get to take the responsibility for making them.” Throughout the book, the author offers helpful tools and techniques as well as insightful observations and counsel. For example, “Five Power Questions”—which include “How does this align with my values?” and “How am I owning this decision?”—are designed to encourage deep introspection. The author’s “three basic reasons to make a shift…greater freedom, power, or passion—or perhaps some combination of the three” provoke considerable reflection. Ruth’s belief that “shifting becomes real and sustainable when we see ourselves differently, from the inside out” is a cleareyed assessment of what a major change truly implies. The volume features a fair amount of motivational psychology intermingled with spirituality that makes for engaging content. While it will take a concerted effort by readers to participate in the process proposed by the author, this work is a commendable blueprint for learning how to shift.

Inspirational and uplifting; a thorough guide to making a change.