I recently finished The Element by Sir Ken Robinson and moved onto A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink, which has been fantastic so far. But first things first, The Element was a great book that really gets you to reflect on the path you’ve taken in life so far and how to change it. Essentially the Element is where your passion meets your talent, meaning its something you not only love to do, but you’re also good at – the ultimate goal is to find this in your life.
After defining the term, the book focuses on why many of us have not found our Element yet, which includes the education system, lack of external support, and self belief.
The major aspects of the book focus on getting in the right mindset to acknowledge that you have that certain something in which you can excel and being open to finding it. There are a number of tools that can help you along this journey, such as finding your tribe or community that shares your interests, engaging a mentor that can help guide you to where you want to go, and unlocking your imagination and creativity to help in the self exploration.
Sir Ken Robinson also includes a few disclaimers on your path to finding your Element, one being that your Element does not have to be your career, it can be a balance between your career and your passion,. The primary reasoning behind this is often monetary, especially when you have a family to support. Furthermore, he also warns you that you will always encounter those that will be naysayers, those that are negative and unsupportive, which can be hurtful, but it is important to overcome such people. Finally, he makes it quite clear that its never too late to start looking for your Element, so there’s not point in not starting.
Through a number of inspiring stories and great examples, Sir Ken Robinson emphasizes the value of your Element and how we can go about reaching it. Definitely a book worth picking up, especially if you find yourself dissatisfied with your education, career, or prospects. Rating 9/10.