This month MF's Founder, resident bookworm and published author - Phil Hayes - reviews Jamie Catto's book about how to transform our thinking and turn our inner demons into allies.
What is the book called?
“Insanely Gifted – Turn Your Demons into Creative Rocket Fuel” – written by Jamie Catto.
What is it about?
It’s about turning around the negative effects of our upbringing/conditioning, and claiming or reclaiming our true personal power and creative potency.
Why is reading this book important for organisations and individuals?
Most of the book is aimed at individuals, offering a range of exercises and explorations focused on dropping the masks we regularly live behind, understanding our potential for unconditional self-love, and becoming whole and productive human beings. There are some excellent exercises that coaches can bring to their client work. On the organisational front there is sound advice on how to bring projects fully to life.
What are the key learnings to take away from this book?
It feels trite to list these, but here goes a starter list of headings:
- We need to understand the reasons behind the masks we wear and know how to discard them in order to be whole and real.
- We need to understand and be able to surmount the beliefs and addictions about ourselves that have held us back.
- We need to understand and embrace the nature of truly unconditional love, and be able to access this.
- We need to understand and reclaim our ‘shadow’ selves in order to be whole.
- We need to understand why we project what we don’t approve of in ourselves on to other people – and stop doing it.
- We need to tune in to and understand our bodies and how they manifest our trauma.
- We ned to re-connect with the feminine.
- We need to replace a principle of scarcity with one of abundance.
- We need to understand the creative potential of moving to the outer edge of our comfort zone.
- We need to be more forgiving of ourselves, recognising that even when we mess up, it invariably comes from an initial positive impulse at some level.
I could go on, but recommend you read the book.
Why should I read this book?
This depends on ‘where you are at’ in your personal journey. I have many times started reading a book and been left completely cold and mystified, only to return to it later and find it speaks to me as if it is transmitting a message from the wise cosmos. Notwithstanding that, it is funny, provocative, sometimes outrageous and very playful, so at the very least there is a good chance you will be entertained.
What coaching questions does this book provoke?
“What are you addicted to in terms of your needs from other people?”
“When you judge others negatively, what is the impact on you when you finish a negative statement about them with the phrase ‘just like me . . .’?”
“Where do you feel that in your body? What is the feeling?”
“What would happen if you stopped pushing for something to happen and surrendered to the possibility of what might happen without you pushing?”
And finally . . .
This is a book that will send some of my academically righteous colleagues bonkers. There are no research references! No footnotes! Not even a booklist! The author was a successful pop artist (Faithless), who went on to begin numerous successful projects recording music and people from all parts of the planet. The list of famous people he has recruited as collaborators is like a name-droppers bible. He jokes, he swears, he is political and provocative. He also offers solid codes and structures for his ideas, and a range of creative exercises that the coaches reading this would do well to acquire – though some of them are dauntingly elaborate. So, I’m thinking ‘Marmite’ – I just happen to adore Marmite!
