Switch On
How to Ignite Your Creative Spirit with the New Science of Breakthrough
In Jankel’s persuasive model, an attitude shift allows creatives to approach problems with peace and presence.
“Every time I felt the juiciness of life fade after an amazing moment,” writes Nick Seneca Jankel, “it has sparked me onward to find a way to recapture that switched-on feeling—where everything is possible and everyone is my ally—24/7 without using anything other than my own heart and mind.” In Switch On: How to Ignite Your Creative Spirit with the New Science of Breakthrough, the psychological coach, social entrepreneur, and leadership expert thoroughly maps out the mental shift that he believes can elevate life from surviving to thriving.
Jankel draws this shift along a compelling “Breakthrough Curve” with ten distinct phases: Problem, Pattern, Pain, Presence, Peace, Purpose, Possibility, Power, Play, and Proactivity. He identifies the driving force of the cycle as the Protector, a mode of survival that guides the self away from hurt. Jankel believes that in order to transition from surviving to thriving, one must replace the Protector with the Connector, a recognition that everyone exists interdependently. As he eloquently writes, “Imagine the universe is a giant hand at your back. Imagine you can sit back, onto the palm, and allow all your worries and concerns to take a break.” This is being “switched on” in Jankel’s words, specifically that we can “fully accept every experience, really feel it, but rather than trip out on it, reacting or repressing, we find a way to find a meaning within it that is empowering.”
In explaining his “Breakthrough Science,” Jankel has coined his own lexicon and includes a thorough glossary at the end of the book. The chapters include well-chosen, boxed-out case studies and scientific research to support his ideas. He also ends each chapter with a series of cognitive exercises to unravel existing thought patterns.
Jankel is so thorough that some readers may feel weighed down with all of his invented terminology, multistep explanations, and detailed diagrams. But his passion for the subject pierces through the dense text, and his mission rings clear: “to remind us all that we are already enough; and with that sense of abundance, harness our collective creativity to make a difference.”
Reviewed by
Amanda McCorquodale
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
