Finding Your Element by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica

I LOVE what I do – I can honestly say with conviction that compliance is my passion – it also helps that I’m somewhat good at it lol. 

But if you ask me about purpose – that has been being able to create RAW Compliance.

To be part of a community that empowers other Compliance Officers, is not only something I love, I believe it’s my purpose. You cannot help be motivated when you begin to see the positive change that is:

• Enabling knowledge sharing between Compliance Officers globally to help solve day to day challenges;
• Encouraging radical and innovative change on how we look at compliance risk and manage it through frameworks, technology and centralisation of big data;
• Inspiring through provoking discussions and thought leadership; and 
• Helping career development and advancement.

Discovering and translating your purpose into something real and tangible is what ‘Finding your Element’ does well. It’s a great read wherever you are in your life: whether your starting on your vocational journey, at a crossroad in your career (which is where I found this book), or retiring but wanting something more – something yet unfulfilled in your life.

‘Finding your Element’ is not only about understanding your aptitudes and what they are but it's also about being in your element through loving what you do. 

And that is what is vital to acknowledge: being good at something doesn’t make it a passion. For me, I love what I do so much, that I genuinely wake up excited about the learning and new challenges the day ahead will bring. It is not that I live to work – I am also a mother and spending quality time with my family is of critical importance to me – its about finding purpose and fulfilment in all I do.

It would help if you also acknowledged that finding your element, and following something that fulfils you, is not selfish and nor does not compromise or take away from the other areas of your life. You can in this regard have it all – because you will move towards becoming the best version of you, and that will be positively (i) reflected in all aspects of your life and (ii) impactful upon all those around you!

So think about the differences you could bring if only you were able to find your element! And yes its absolutely personal – it enables you to understand who you are, what you’re capable of being, and what you are capable of doing with your life. 

‘Finding Your Element’ will give you the purpose in your life and direction you have been craving, and bring balance – which right now is something many people are struggling with as the impact of the pandemic in many regards social, economically and humanly is hitting hard.

The key takeaways and learnings from this book will be:

• Do you understand your aptitudes?
• Do you know the real depth of your natural abilities?
• What are your passions, and how does that feed your own spiritual energy?
• How do you increase your happiness through your elements?
• What is holding you back from moving forward to find and use your element?
• Helps you to explore your current circumstances vs opportunities for change
• Connecting and networking through your element with others; and
• Creating a plan of action to realise and transform yourself through finding your element

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”- Confucius

‘Finding Your Element’ is the natural companion and sequel to ‘The Element’, building on its core ideas and offers advice, techniques, and resources to put those ideas into practice in your own life. It has ideas, stories, and examples, and even exercises to put theory to test. Also, crucially it helps provide resources to support the journey and asks questions at the end of each chapter so you can self-reflect.

If you prefer to watch a video, here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fbxRQgMlU

Written by Oonagh van den Berg, CEO & Founder of RAW Compliance