The Sunday Mail
Book Review
MANY people have their destiny determined by past circumstances. The realisation that you have the power to redefine your life could be the turning point towards a better tomorrow.
Life coach and motivational speaker Thembelani Maposa in “Finding Yourself” explores ways of discovering yourself in order to unlock your full potential.
The author is of the view that people do not discover but rather define themselves.
He says failure to do discover oneself results in the past becoming a hindrance.
“You can let your past, how you grew up, your family background and history define who you are, who you will become or you can break off from that and become the person of your making and desire,” reads an extract from the book.
With many people believing that they are incapable of doing much in life because they have tried in the past and failed, Maposa highlighted that after falling down, we must get back up and stay focused on the goal because failure does not mean the end.
“Before you could walk you had to fall and struggle until the right time came.”
Another interesting thing that I noted while I reading this book is that the author also had a word for disabled people who sometimes let their condition stop them from achieving things in life.
He cites examples of blind people who had gone on to become music icons, feats that some people who can see have failed to surpass.
“I have seen physically challenged people making it in sport. It’s because they made a decision to be different and not pay attention to the opinions of the ordinary people that affects how they see themselves, how they defined themselves.”
Being a life coach, Maposa encounters various challenges that people face on a daily bases and in this book he tried to illustrate how best they can be dealt with, mentioning that individuals possess the power to change negativity into something positive.
Fear is also said to hinder progress, taking away expectation and hope, which leads to one achieving very little in life.
Although, we are supposed to learn from individuals around us, the responsibility of changing one’s personality comes from within.
The writer goes on to say that you are the captain of your own ship, with the power to decide who and what becomes a part of your life.
“There is power in association, negative and positive.
“Your associates can influence your financial life, you sexual life, your spiritual life, your emotional life, your value system, your morals, your character and your success in life.”
The book clearly elaborates that if you do not make the decision to define every aspect of your life, chances are that you will depict anything that comes your way and you will be pressured by your environment to be anything.
“It is you who should decide what you want in your life.
“It is you who should decide how you dress, how you behave, how you speak, how you communicate, how you resolve problems, how you look, your weight, your style and your appeal.”
Maposa is an excellent motivator and by making use of scientific, biblical and social knowledge, he managed to create a solid piece of work.
However, the author has many weaknesses that I have noticed in most motivational writers whose work I have read.
Despite having powerful insight, this book could have been wrapped up in the first few pages as the author ended up becoming too general while trying to stress a single point.
Although, it is helpful in many ways, the author could have done more to broaden his scope to make it a even more interesting.
