Last week I met up with Shereen, the wonderful Marketing Manager at Kogan Page, the publishers of my forthcoming book Soul Trader – Putting the Heart Back into Your Business. She encouraged to record a video about myself and the book, and to produce an author profile for Amazon the online book website. I don’t need much encouragement – the former press officer, media trainer and as a singer in me thought it was a great idea.
As I started filming I remembered – as I did while writing the book- just how much books and writing had played in my early life in particular. Being an author was the first thing I wanted to do; I wrote stories at a kid and in fact near where I lived was a store called The Book Place that I thought published books So one Saturday, I marched down there with a copy of one of my stories… I was less than 12 at the time.
Like many children I was enchanted by books like The Lion, The Witch and the Wardbrobe by CS Lewis and Danny the Champion of the World by Roal Dahl and countless other wonderful books and by the rich books on Greek mythology. In my teens loved books about space and loved the Star Wars books – and was amazed how close they were to the films. Perhaps of all the books it was The Lion, The Witch and the Wardbrobe was especially special; I remember being fascinated by the discussion the Lion and the Witch about the ‘Deep Magic’ on which their world was built. I somehow sensed that this passage of the book had a deep meaning about the nature of life.
At secondary school my English teacher Mr Tonkin, was himself a best-selling author and that was really cool. He knew I wanted to write – and knew I needed to work on my spelling and grammar. I did a little work on it but what was really significant was here was someone who recognised what I really wanted to do, so his tough remarks were actually deeply significant.
My interest in books feel away by twenties though I did then real a number of spiritual and self development books. One of the first of the self development books I read (and that I still have) is called How to get where you want to go. I’m not sure if it’s still in print but again it inspired. As my own journey unfolded Dan Millman’s The Way of the Peaceful Warrior certainly helped mark the path that I would walk down energetically. I was also listening to lots of audio talks from Osho, by the way his autobiography is very amusing and suspect it deliberately playfully plays with what you believe to be likely to be the ‘truth’ about his remarkable life. Perhaps though the most powerful book that I have read…and pretty much the only book that calls me back is ‘I am That’ by Nisagadatta Maharaj. This book is beyond words. It is about what is before, between, in and beyond words. It is a wonderful sharing of existence. Perhaps Evolved Heart has been inspired by all these things I do not know.
I am mindful that words, language and books can liberate and limit, they can emancipate and or enchain. There comes a point to embrace life itself beyond all the books and the knowledge, but also there is much value for enjoying them for the remarkable expressions of life in all it’s shades, shapes and sensations.
Here’s a video I’ve just recorded about my life through books which also includes me discussing my three books The Gift of Inner Success, A Zest for Business and Soul Trader – Putting the Heart Back into Your Business. Perhaps they reveal something of what I have learned in this magical life. Certainly The Gift of Inner Success and Soul Trader share some of that enchantment.
Rasheed Ogunlaru is a leading life coach, speaker and business / corporate coach. He is author of a series of books, downloads and videos. He is also the Business Coach partner of the British Library’s Business & IP Centre where he runs Your Life, Your Business, an inspiring workshop for new and established entrepreneurs.
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