"The only learning that significantly influences human behaviour is self knowledge." This powerful statement by Carl Rogers was sent to me on the internet by my revered friend and colleague Tony Betts, an international business consultant who has transformed many under performing businesses into very productive ones with his powerful system of The Art Of Not Doing. We dwell so much in actively over-doing things with our efforts to achieve results that we lose track of our goals and our own understanding of ourselves and others. We end up with stress and under performance. I shall write about Tony's Art Of Not Doing another day, but let us start with an exercise in self knowledge to spur you on towards positive and conscious change.

Simply sitting and meditating gives one peace within, and makes one aware of one's inner spirit. But to know yourself, you must study yourself in relation to the actual situations of your everyday life. Do not turn a blind eye and move on. Address and reconcile with the past, make positive plan to make the best out of the present moment, to build a solid foundation for a meaningful tomorrow. I would like to share with you Luis Ammann's work which I have found very useful:

Make a note-book of personal tensions and climates.

Ask yourself 'what situation do I live in?'

Describe your situation clearly terms of your age, sex, work, home life, health and friends.

For each situation, notice especially the strongest or most unpleasant tensions you feel and try also to distinguish the emotional moods or 'climates' you live in. A 'climate' is diffuse, pervasive and sometimes irrational emotional mood or feeling like helplessness, loneliness, injustice, insecurity or aggressiveness.

Describe briefly, in your own words, your conclusion about yourself and formulate useful resolutions. Do not struggle with your negative factors, but build on the positive qualities discovered. For example: "Age 50 years: Annoyed and frustrated as I cannot do what I want to do as I get tired easily, afraid of being made redundant, despair when I think of the future reconciling with myself through experience gained."

Sit back, relax and be at peace with yourself, sipping a warm drink or fruit juice.