First Paddling Downstream workshop
This is to let you know that the first Paddling Downstream workshop will take place on Thursday 19th January, 2012, from 6.30 to 7.30 pm, at Buddha on a Bicycle, 27 Endell Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9BA. Here’s the blurb: “We’re all on a journey, facing similar challenges. Both Eastern philosophy and Western psychology offer solutions. John Purkiss argues that everything...
Read MoreHow to know what to do now
Many people are wondering what to do, particularly in this time of change and uncertainty. Sometimes we have lots of mental chatter, otherwise known as the monkey mind, which can be very tiring. If you experience this, I recommend you try the following exercise: 1) Sit quietly somewhere where you won’t be disturbed. Close your eyes. For the next 5-10 minutes, place your attention on your...
Read MoreMindfulness returns to Asia
Today I had a cup of tea with Shamash Alidina, author of Mindfulness for Dummies. His new book, Relaxation for Dummies, is due to be published on December 20. Shamash is embarking on a trip to teach mindfulness in Dubai, Hong Kong and Shanghai. I suggested this was akin to selling ice to eskimos, given that the practice of mindfulness originated in Asia. However, Shamash says it has recently declined in tandem with religion. It seems to me that a British chemical engineer turned mindfulness teacher is well placed to help reintroduce it.
Read MoreWelcome
Welcome to the new website! Maybe I should explain what this is all about. I’ve been exploring personal development for over 20 years – everything from Eastern philosophy to Western psychology and Californian self-help. I like to read the theory and then do the exercises to discover what works in practice.
I’m naturally sceptical (or skeptical, for the Americans reading this). Some of the claims made in the personal development literature don’t stand up to scrutiny. It’s also very easy to get lost in intellectual arguments about physics or metaphysics. However, some of the ideas are really useful. If we put them into practice, they can transform our lives. I’ve experienced this over and over again.
This website will help you to explore for yourself. There will also be workshops, starting in January 2012. If you’d like to hear about them, please subscribe to this blog. (See above, in the right-hand column.) I look forward to hearing from you, and seeing you at one of our events.
Photo: Joseph Rochlitz (at a Thanksgiving party in London, hence the bottles of wine).
Read MoreFrom fear to love
A couple of months ago my friend Becky Walsh introduced me to Glenn Moore, a lawyer turned coach who makes very interesting videos on a wide range of personal development topics. Glenn and I met a couple of times. On both occasions new ideas emerged, so we decided to meet for a third time with a video camera running. The result is below. All feedback...
Read MoreHow to thrive despite the crisis
It looks as though the current economic and political crisis will continue for a while. What can we do in the meantime? One option is to focus on everything that isn’t working and get depressed. Another is to forge ahead despite the circumstances. As usual, it boils down to a choice between fear and love. We can focus on what we’re afraid of: unemployment, inflation, the eurozone crisis, etc....
Read MoreWhat your view of Steve Jobs says about you
It’s been interesting to read the press and watch TV following the death of Steve Jobs. The comments fall into three main categories: (1) admiration, (2) criticism, and (3) condemnation of his critics. These comments say as much about us as they do about him. When we admire someone we project our own qualities onto them. For example, if you admire Steve’s creativity, it’s at least partly...
Read MoreHow to feel better fast and attract good things
In my last post on the subject of gratitude (September 11), I mentioned Esther Hicks who said, “There’s nothing more important than to feel good now”. She and her husband Jerry are the authors of The Law of Attraction and many other books on this subject. It boils down to this: you attract what you feel strongly about, whether you want it or not. It’s up to each of us whether we focus...
Read MoreIntuition based in love – an interview with Becky Walsh
I first got to know Becky when I was doing some research for the chapter on intuition in Book Five (coming soon). Below is an update. JP: How would you define intuition? BW: Intuition is a ‘knowing’ without logical thought. It’s having an answer, direction or idea without bringing the ego mind into the equation. The ego mind is set on survival, so it makes limited choices often based on...
Read MoreWe’re all on a journey from fear to love
Yesterday I had an initial conversation about being interviewed for a video. The interviewer asked, “What really is your message?” It’s a useful question for all of us who feel compelled to write and speak, and wake up in the middle of the night with yet another idea. While I was writing the draft of Book Five it dawned on me that what connects the big themes in personal development is love...
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