Laurence Ackerman

This one changed my outlook. Really. When he says "you can't do anything you want." You may think you can, and have proven to yourself that you can, but really, there is one thing that you love and one thing that you do so well it isn't work. Now, that was a real revelation. This is the Identity Code which is so unique to you. It set me free. Anyway, Larry also does things about organizations and companies and their own 'DNA' code that gives them a unique identity. We are going to work together in the future, and I am just scratching the surface with this.… (more)

In this elegantly concise book, the author details how identity is "the source of your uniqueness and potential. Exercise and express it and it will grow ever deeper and more powerful in its impact on your life and the lives of others."

Psychologist Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) noted that self actualization is the intrinsic growth of what is already in people, "or more accurately, of what the organism is."

Using his experience in corporate brand consulting, Larry Ackerman details key aspects of how our identity can be explored and made more true and authentic, leading to not only greater self actualization, but our ability to `do right' by other people. Your identity, he notes "is the living lens through which you can safely engage the world, make informed decisions, and thereby fashion a life that you, and others, can trust."

One of the most central questions or aspects is that of "gift" - our purpose or passion. He notes that many people may find it hard to accept that everyone can find and express a purpose: "The idea that each of us is born with a particular gift that informs what we might do with our lives scares people. The thought that you may actually have something akin to a purpose can be unnerving."

Our identity, he declares, is "fixed, transcending time and place, while its manifestations are constantly changing." With helpful exercises that accompany the clear explanations of the eight "essential questions," we can better understand how unique we are, and make a more powerful and positive impact with our lives.… (more)