Partnered content: Book synopsis of Connecting With Yourself by Vishal Jacob

Pic/ Vishal Jacob

INTRODUCTION - WHY THIS BOOK
In the 17 years of my career and especially over the last decade I have had the opportunity to lead and mentor several teams. I have been fortunate to watch and learn from them as much as I have been able to assist them. It has been my experience that teams that bring out their best are ones with individuals who are deeply connected with themselves - aware as much of their rationality (or lack thereof) in thought and action as they are aware of their feelings. Such individuals are secure and confident in themselves. Their ability to introspect also helps them become open and accepting of others, leading to better team dynamics. As such, the ability to connect with oneself becomes an essential skillset for both an individual's personal and professional growth.

Unfortunately, not many people know themselves deeply enough. Our schools and colleges never taught us the art of introspecting and discovering ourselves. Most of us went in and out of school with no more than the intention of living up to the expectations of our parents and teachers. Then we molded our adult selves on the expectations of society and somewhere down this line of keeping up with other's expectations we lost touch the key elements that make us who we really are.

This journey of discovering ourselves is an interesting one. For me it started by asking myself why I thought, felt and acted the way I did. I believe that staying connected to my sense of self is the reason I have enjoyed the experiences life has thrown my way. The more I have walked down this path the more I have looked forward to this never-ending journey. I have come to believe that success often depends on the daily decisions and actions we take based on our perception of right and wrong. Our thoughts and feelings play a very important role in cultivating the right habits and the behavior we exhibit day after day. Even though it is known that the brain plays an integral part in creating each of these - thoughts, feelings, habits, behavior and more - surprisingly very few of us are aware of how our brain helps us get there.

Connecting With Yourself Cover

The intention of writing this book is to help individuals understand facets of one's own self and explore the many reasons why we think feel and act the way we do! This book aims to explain some interesting facts about the science of human behavior that every individual should know. It opens the doors to understanding ourselves and others better. The ideas in this book are drawn heavily from concepts in neuroscience and psychology.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Vishal Jacob is the Vice President, digital media and marketing at WaveMaker India (created from the merger of GroupM India's Maxus & MEC). He has over 17 years of experience in the field of digital marketing, communication planning and consumer behavior. The work of some of the teams he has lead and mentored have won recognition & accolades both in India and globally. Vishal is also an executive coach certified by the NeuroLeadership Institute and holds certifications in TA (Transactional Analysis) and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). He has co-authored two books on digital marketing and is also a guest lecturer in some of the top B-Schools in the country.