In that scenario, do you think to yourself, ‘I'm surrounded by complete idiots! If only they saw things like I do – this would be a lot easier.’
Or maybe there are people on your team who find you annoying? It doesn't matter what you do or how hard you work, even the way you talk seems to irritate them.

If you are nodding to any of the above, you need to read this book.
I spotted this book out of the corner of my eye in a shop at a train station. The title made me stop in my tracks and laugh out loud. Even though I was running late for the train, I had to stop and buy it. I'm so glad I did because I spent the next hour on the train devouring its contents and thinking, ‘No way, is that why that happened!’

It describes four main behaviour types: red, yellow, blue or green. Each type has some very distinct characteristics. As I read it, there was no question in my mind that I was very strong in red behaviour. While I have been quite proud of having these characteristics and would see them as strengths, reading this book made me realise why other people could find it annoying. Most people are a combination of two colours.

‘Red people’ are extroverts. They are loud and want to get the job done. They are ambitious, dynamic, and like to start new projects. They are doers. They are task-orientated and relish a new challenge. They have lots of ideas and like to talk.

‘Yellow people’ want to engage with lots of people. They enjoy being merry and are generally optimistic. They are focused on creating relationships. Enthusiastic, spontaneous, and a great communicator with lots of friends.

‘Green people’ are the most balanced. Calm, leisurely, and easy going. They like to avoid conflict. They are kind, helpful, and make great listeners. They are also dependable and stable and make team players.

‘Blue people’ need to have all the details. They analyse, classify, evaluate and assess. They want to know every single outcome, every single consequence, and they scrutinise every part of the project before they begin. They don’t talk much, but when they do it’s because there is something important to say.

Now just with those brief descriptions, can you see how easy it would be for conflict to arise with the different personality types? How would someone with strong red characteristics interact with someone who is blue?

People who are red would get frustrated by the perceived lack of progress with blue people, as they would focus on getting all the details. Blue people think that red people are precocious, bossy, and opinionated.

When I read this book, I immediately understood the reasons for some of the conflicts in my life. I finally understood why some people find me irritating. It was an insight into workplace politics that I wish I had read in my early twenties.

Although you can't necessarily change who you are as a person, you can become more conscious and aware of how you are behaving and how others may perceive that.

If you work in a team, you simply MUST read this book.

You will never be in control of your life until you realise that only you and no one else can create what goes on in your head. The foundation of personal development is taking responsibility for the choices you have made and the quality of your life. When you understand this fundamental concept, it grounds you and stops you from feeling helpless. You start to live your life very differently.

In today's society, the speed of social media and the constant input of imagery that we subject our brains is increasing at a phenomenal rate. Ideas are instantaneous and constantly shifting. More than ever, we need to be aware of what is true or fake and whether someone is trying to put ideas into our heads that we don't choose.

More and more, that control is being taken away from us without us realising. Many people live life with a fear of doing something wrong or worrying about making a wrong decision. They live a life of ‘analysis paralysis’. They want to know the outcome before making the decision to act. All this does is put people in a state of limbo for months, years and sometimes even decades.

Susan describes five truths about fear
1. Fear will never go away as long as I continue to grow.
2. The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it
3. The only way to feel better about myself is to go out and do it
4. Not only am I going to experience fear whenever I'm in unfamiliar territory, but so is
everybody else
5. Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the underlying fear that
comes from a feeling of helplessness.

This powerful book makes you think about why you may have been trapped in a certain way of thinking or certain pattern of behaviour that is not serving you to living your best life. One of my favourite quotes from this book is, ‘You’re not a failure if you don’t make it; you’re a success because you try.’

The book ends with an interesting chapter on the difference and relationship between the conscious and subconscious mind. The conscious mind chooses its source of information and energy and sends it to the subconscious. The subconscious mind listens to the conscious mind and carries out the instructions given. If this is true, why not give your subconscious mind instructions for what and who you want to be? If the subconscious mind cannot differentiate between truth and fiction, why not intentionally instruct the subconscious mind? The reason you are reading this sentence now is that I started to use this method to bring into my life the tools I needed to spread the news about personal development to reach as many people as I could. I had no idea where to begin, and I was fearful of judgment by others. I realised that if I did not overcome my fear, I would not be able to help others, which was more important to me than my fear.

If you have ever been held back by fear – read this book and see if something shifts for you.