The Chimp Paradox is a must read in my view. Written by Professor Steve Peters, it is a combination of evolution meets psychology, framed in a simplistic way allowing readers to develop emotional skills, self-awareness through the mind management programme for confidence, success and happiness. This book is favoured amongst famous athletes such as Victoria Pendleton & Chris Hoy and contributed to both of their Olympic success.

“Your inner Chimp can be your best friend or your worst enemy” on this basis why not learn to manage it?  Firstly to change or improve you must recognise that you are not always functioning in the way that you want to due to control of emotion or through what you think you can do.The Chimp Paradox allows easy understanding of how you function as an individual and within a group allowing you to understand what can be changed and influenced and what can’t be changed.

The Chimp, your Chimp is effectively an emotional machine that thinks independently and lives in your head. It has a different agenda and way of thinking from you “the human”  it is not good or bad, its just a Chimp, once you have mastered the concept you will be empowered to apply the book to every day situations allowing you to manage your ”Chimp” in a different way, the secret to happiness and success is to learn to live with your Chimp and not get bitten by it!

• Recognise how your mind is working
• Understand and manage your emotions and your thoughts
• Manage yourself and become the person you would like to be

I have personally read this book three times; I was first introduced to it in 2018 and since this point in time it has supported me in everyday life and has featured as reading material on my journey to achieving my MBA. I am a huge advocate for this book and have recommended it to many friends who themselves have experienced an improvement in their life. My “Chimp” is firmly under control and maintained in a box where I have learned to communicate more effectively with it and the world around me.

My biggest takeaway from the book was understanding jungle basics and building the right “troop” which beautifully mirrors the great work of the FF15 Programme, the perfect troop to allow the ladies of the events and tourism industries to evolve through guides, network and mentoring. The Chimp Paradox is a must read, order a copy today and I look forward to hearing your thought.

Victoria Owens, May 2021