Kairology: Time for Personal Growth by Ian Williams is an inpsiring little book which encourages the reader to get in touch with who they really are and use this self-awareness to bring about personal development, growth and change.
Kairology: Time for Personal Growth
By Ian Williams
This self-development guide by Ian Williams is a nifty little square gift book, set out in sequence like a deck of cards; with four sections, or ‘suits’ based round Passion, People, Purpose and Potential. Each Suit has 13 life questions for the reader to consider. As in a pack of cards, this ads up to 52 ‘cards’ or topics, one for each week of the year. Questions range from the meaning of happiness to how to put your values into action in your life.
Williams, a business coach from Auckland, defines Kairology as ‘a moment of truth, or a turning point’. By asking these questions, he aims to provide a framework for self-reflection, illumination and growth. I would advise skimming over the introduction which explains the card analogy as I found it a little confusing. It is, however, worth just getting into the book itself for what it has to offer.
The book is interesting to look at and easy to dip into, with each section being colour co-ordinated and laid out in a relaxed style with a variety of fonts, simple graphics, and a photo at the beginning of each section.
On one page are the questions, and a brief description of the topic the questions are about. The topic heading is displayed clearly on the side of each of these pages. On the opposite page, in a white handwriting font on a coloured background, is a quote with relevance to the topic which acts as a further catalyst to thought and reflection.
The idea is that the reader doesn’t read the book in one sitting; instead, they go through it and spend time thinking and considering where they are in their own life in relation to each of the groups of questions. Rather than being a three course meal, it is like a series of tapas - each one tasty by itself, or with several eaten at leisure, providing sustenance as well as enjoyment. The experience is just as important as the content.
This is not a how-to book. It is not based round a particular philosophy to follow to gain a heightened state of enlightenment or self-fulfilment. What it offers is a series of opportunities to contemplate your own life and your personal beliefs and gain insight into the workings of you as an individual. You are then free to act on those insights to bring about the changes or growth that you desire.
At the back of the book, Ian gives information on how to go further with this process, by signing up for his Kairos Coaching Cards Programme, based on the same 4-suit, 52-question format and meant to be completed on a weekly basis over the course of a year. So it seems that the book can stand on its own; complete as a guide for thinking and learning, or it can be seen as an appetiser; an introduction to the longer, fuller programme by the same author. Either way, it is worth a look.
Published by Phantom Publishing, A division of Compass Development Group Ltd, Hamilton, New Zealand, 2008 - 127 pages in Hardback
