Get Your Groove Back: How spiritual intelligence (SQ) can give you the work and life you really want by Jasbindar Singh, business psychologist and executive coach from Auckland, explores the concept of Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) and its impact on our life and work. Review by Marian Kerr.
Get Your Groove Back
By Jasbindar Singh Had I relied on reading the main title of the book I would have thought it was about reactivating my mojo rather than connecting with my spirituality. However, the secondary title gives a clearer picture: How Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) can give you the work and life you really want. Now that we have embraced Emotional Intelligence (EQ) the time seems right for exploring that extra dimension of life – spiritual intelligence (SQ). Jasbindar Singh, a business psychologist and executive coach in Auckland, defines this as that which gives our lives meaning and purpose, rather than adherence to a particular religion. Throughout the book she encourages the reader to dig deeper to find the underlying beliefs and values that motivate them and be guided by what gives them a sense of purpose. She tells us that the greater the degree of congruence between our inner life and our daily everyday life, the happier and more authentic our lives will be: the more closely we align our personal and business lives to our inner values and vision, the more fulfilled our lives will be. As a life and career coach myself, I expected to find the usual information on discovering your personal values, skills, vision, goals and passion, and these are all covered in the context of finding fulfilment and achieving your full potential. Self knowledge and self understanding as the basis for self acceptance, growth and change is well documented and has been experienced by many of those undertaking coaching. Jasbindar moves further on from these concepts and exhorts her readers to take responsibility for themselves and their actions and harness their SQ in the service of others. She acknowledges that job security and money are not the most important motivations for career choice and development and encourages us that actions which spring from SQ will result in us honouring ourselves at our deepest, most innermost level. While encouraging goal setting, she also advises full engagement in life in the here and now and an openness to serendipity and synchronicity. This encompasses awareness and pursuing the seemingly random opportunities that come our way. I finished this book feeling encouraged and uplifted, though I found the process of reading it a little uneven. It is a mix of practical down to earth advice and chaos theory liberally sprinkled with quotes from others exploring the concept of SQ and its relevance to our lives. Exercises in each chapter give the reader the opportunity to apply the theory to themselves and look beneath the surface to truly connect with what is most important to them. Get Your Groove Back is neither a scholarly tome, nor an easy lazy Sunday afternoon read. I would encourage you, however, to read it through as the topic of Spiritual Intelligence bears consideration and the thought-provoking reflection points allow you to explore your personal life from a new perspective. This book will be of interest to life and career coaches and anyone who feels there must be more to life. Published by Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand, 2006 - 233 pages in Paperback
