Title Buddhism for Busy People: Finding Happiness in an Uncertain World
Author David Michie
Publisher Snow Lion Publications
ISBN 978 15593 9298 3
Usefulness 2.5
What karma did you inherit? What karma are you creating today? What shift in attitude are you prepared to try? And what kind of change could it bring to a relationship that’s causing you distress? These and other core Buddhist themes such as compassion, enlightenment and underlying intention, run like a golden thread through Michie’s book.
A previously stressed, high-earning London PR executive, Michie shares his story of a supposedly successful life, which lacked meaning and joy. In Buddhism, his life flourished.
If you already know something about Buddhist practice, this book may be too basic. But if you’re curious, and are wondering how Buddhist teachings could help you as a coach, this book offers a simple introduction. For example: Mindfulness: Buddhism says there’s nothing wrong with making lots of money. But it’s the motivation that determines lasting happiness.
Impermanence is another ‘wisdom’: “When you’re going to work…imagine you’re just filling in for a friend that day…”
Imagine asking a coaching client to apply this idea to their stressed out top team. Could the manager of the Hong Kong office drop her ‘attachment to outcomes’ regarding that problem with London?
Rachel Ellison MBE is CEO of Rachel Ellison Corporate Coaching and Media Consultancy
www.rachelellison.com
Coaching at Work, volume 7, issue 2