You may know that I’ve been busy writing my new book Soul Trader over the last few months. The book which will be published by Kogan Page in October is all about how to build a business that you and your customers love based on seven heart-centred principles.

Over the weekend I caught up with Steve Nobel, a fellow coach  / author and Director of Alternatives which runs wonderful talks for those on a journey of self-discovery. Steve asked me to tell him a little bit about the book. So here’s what I told him as we discussed it over ‘brunch’…

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Rasheed Ogunlaru – Soul Trader from Steve Nobel on Vimeo.

The sound and visuals on this video aren’t perfect but if you can look and listen beyond you may well enjoy this interview.

This is not an uncommon story …not only within the music industry but in life. It’s easy to spend a lifetime seeking fulfilment through ‘someone’, ‘somewhere’, ‘sometime’ or ‘something’ else and overlook one self. 

My friend the singer found the success and fame that he sought and I hope that he found the love too. Here is that song which I eventually recorded myself. And a big thanks to Marcin Steciuk the video director.  Wishing you all a very Happy Valentines Day.

Mindlessness: Is actuallymost often born of having too full and too busy a mind. Where one is often trapped, caught, haunted or obsessed by thoughts and fears. Where one takes the thoughts to be the complete and utter reality. It creates conflict within and creates feelings of conflict others and the world around. Carelessness and conflict often result from it. 

Mindlessness is not having an empty mind. Empty minds are at peace. Troubled ones wage wars.

Mindfulness: Is being aware of thoughts. Letting them be. It is being aware that the human condition generates thoughts and feelings just as the physical conditions of our world creates weather. The mindful person is aware of the weather and the seasons and does not try to control them. They flow with them, are mindful of them, at peace with them. The mindful soul there for has no conflict – within or without – and cause none. Mindfulness is sensing that all these pieces of the jigsaw of life are of one.

Mindfulness is not having a full mind. It is where the contents of the mind at peace, where the weight and burden is eased and where one is at peace with themself and all that is.

Sometimes simply because of its name, we feel that we should be afraid of it. But this is not the case.

By understanding and being mindful of fear we can actually appreciate it, value it, learn from it and find deeper wisdom and liberation through it.

Fear is your friend:

Fear is not your enemy. It is a natural happening that is there to alert you, serve you, protect you, warn you and encourage you to find you.

Fear – like most things – only becomes problematic when we don’t understand it, deny it or fear it.

Fear as an alert:

Fear is there to alert you to a situation. A car or wild animal rushes toward us. You feel fear. The adrenalin in you makes you take drastic action to get out of the way. If you are hurt the fear-released chemicals in your body helps numb the pain.

Fear lets you know you need to act fast. In this way fear will save your life. Fear will stop you doing something that is life-threatening.

Fear as Fuel:

The nature of our world is change. Fear can help you stay awake and up to date. You are afraid that you’re not going to have enough money left at the end of the month so you start cut out all unnecessary spend. You learn that the company may be shut down, so you’re alert and this fuels you to update your CV and start looking for new positions.

Fear in this case is again about helping us to survive progress and move forward.

Fear and self-realisation:

I have a saying: “Sooner or later you will hear what your heart has always been telling you; stop being who you think you should be – become who you are”.

You see sometimes the fear you feel is because you are not listening to your ‘self’. Instead you‘re constantly trying to please everyone else. You feel these nagging doubts and fears but ignore them. You think it is a scary thing but actually this type of fear is inviting you to stop being overly caught up in your mind and to discover who you are at your heart.

Once you hear this calling it will lead you to a deep sense of understanding, joy and wisdom. Fear will always be there but you will know it is far more a friend than a foe.

Here’s a short interview she recorded with me about my work and approach.

Rasheed Top Ten Tips to Find a Job you Love

1. Give yourself space and time to discover what you really want
2. Reconnect to nature: a walk in the park helps make change more of a ‘walk in the park
3. List what you’re passionate about — this will really begin to point you to what you should do
4. List your personal / professional skills talents and accomplishments — this will help too
5. Get tips from those you respect, those who’ve been there and the wise — it will guide you
6. Network online and in person — huge amounts of jobs and opportunities emerge here
7. Follow your heart and trust yourself– but also set a survival budget and be practical
8. Update your CV – make it shine – & develop a strategy — utilise agencies, online sites, contacts, networking
9. In meeting and interview be clear, crisp, compelling and shine
10. Be personable, passionate, proactive and yourself…your heart will lead you to your new job.

Rasheed Ogunlaru is a leading life coach, motivational speaker and business / corporate coach. 

It has been one of those years in which everything that you thought were fixed you realised has always been in flux. That is the very nature of life. Political, social, spiritual, financial and historical pundits will all discuss and debate it.

What I would say is that the way that we have been living life purley on the level of mind, mindlessness and transactional level has proven to be unsustainable. Mindfulness, compassion and move from transactional to transformational relationships is key to any real type of personal or collective growth.

I will add that the leadership required at home, work, corporately and polictically and in the business world will no longer be that of the mind alone but of the heart. That is the invitation whether you are parent, carer, manager, supervisor, owner, artist, polititian. It is the invitation to every human being.