The Shift: How to Awaken to the Aliveness Within

by Mo Issa

After a devastating family tragedy, author Mo Issa was forced to reexamine his life. Six surprising catalysts helped him rethink his whole life plan. These came from a wide range of sources—from Leo Tolstoy’s seminal classic The Death of Ivan Ilyich to Brené Brown’s TED Talk. With these influences in mind, Issa thought about the way he was living and asked himself whether it was how he really wanted to live his life.

It wasn’t, and Issa realized he had to change. He started working toward a more authentic, spiritual existence. Along the way, he dug deep into his psyche and got to know himself, identifying the habits that helped him focus on his purpose. He is now sharing these habits and more with you!

In The Shift,Issa discusses

the importance of authenticity,
the connection between the spirit and the mind,
the need for vulnerability,
the direct and indirect actions that can help you form good habits,
the consequences of conforming to society’s standards instead of questioning and challenging them, and
living a life without regret.

Issa hopes he can inspire you and give you the tools you need to seek out the true version of yourselves.

Genres: Self Help

144 pages, Paperback

Published October 9, 2017

About the author

Mo Issa is the founder of a building materials business, which he has run for 25 years. He is also the author of three books: The Midlife Shift, The Shift, and a poetry collection titled The Dense Mistiness of the Ordinary. Mo’s writing has been featured in Elephant Journal and Rebel Society and goes out to thousands through his weekly newsletter.

Mo speaks regularly at conferences and workshops, and he has spoken at the TEDx Accra Conference (2015). In 2016, Mo launched the The Authenticity Project, which celebrates people fearlessly pursuing their passions by assisting them with a cash prize and a mentorship program.

He received his masters in law from the London School of Economics. He spends his time writing and reading voraciously in philosophy, literature, poetry, and psychology. You can find him on his Substack, website, and Instagram.

Reviews

[Shani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be you, be true to yourself and who you are. It’s something that I’ve taught my kids since they were very young. I can honestly say, they do that! But for me, I’ve lost my way a bit. After going through some major life changes I’m left feeling almost let down or disappointed. I’ve let go of how much peace I genuinely feel. That’s where I think Mo’s book helps me get some of that book.

One of the things I felt was very helpful and engaging about this book was how Mo didn’t lecture, preach or talk “at” you. Instead he shares how he felt, the emotions and actions that took him down to being almost complacent in his life instead of moving in a path that made him feel centered and at peace. This didn’t read like a professional telling you how to pick up and change everything in a moments notice and everything will be zapped into perfection. It read like someone you might be acquainted with or even friends who is just sharing their story, and hoping it helps you.

I found that the constant reminder of being true to yourself was somewhat peaceful in the way of a mantra of sorts. Over the whole course of the book the author gives you examples on how to make the shift into a happier life. It’s about finding balance, then the peace will come. I really liked this book and it's something to sit down and take notes about. Maybe read it again and make the real effort to put Mo’s help into reality. It’s a wonderful motivational book.

[GrnEyed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self-help books have the capacity to offer great insight into how to improve one’s life, or they seem to repeat what is said in every other book of this nature. I found Mo Issa’s book to be a combination of the two. I found it fascinating how Mo Issa states that an individual can lead a comfortable life but in reality they are not living a truly authentic life. I find this to be true, especially within my own life in the past year.
The explanation related to our ego was fascinating. I understand that someone who is an egomaniac is less than the ideal individual; however, I didn’t realize that an ego when not kept in check can do a tremendous amount of damage in our lives. A lot of Mo Issa’s tips are similar to other books.
I do see the value in being an authentic person who keeps our ego in check. Furthermore, the spirit and mind connection are invaluable and not all that new a concept. I do have a great appreciation for Issa suggestion that we keep or emotions and vulnerability in check. I know how easy it is to let our emotions take over a person’s life.
Overall I believe there are some useful tips in this book that could help anyone live a more genuine, authentic, and happier life. I know I will be using a few of his suggestions in my own life.

[Lesley Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The list of books that I will be keeping close to hand and reading many times over has grown by one.

A lot of people live their life based on society or how family want you to live. This can result in you not being happy and not being true to yourself. This seems to be the case for Mo Issa. Many readers will relate to a lot of aspects in Mo’s life and will find his experiences and changes helpful in applying those, some if not all, in their own lives.

I didn’t realise how much of an impact your ego can have on you. Mo talks about how you can learn to not worry about what other people may think – which for me, personally, with very low confidence is something I worry about every single day.

This book is net very long, but it’s packed with lots of useful information that I know will help me and other readers out there too. I also liked the list of questions; I found those to be useful.

I would certainly recommend this book.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, we met Issa who has to take a step back to look at his life and figure out if this was the way he really wanted to live. We explore with him the things that really helped him to become self-aware, like his habits. While thinking about who you are and who you want to be is no easy task, he share with us ways to do so.

I appreciated the sincerity of this book and about what makes sense for his life. It is encouraging and a very interesting read.

I appreciated the opportunity to read this! Thank you.

Disclaimer: I was awarded this book. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

[Nesta Jojoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes you on a journey with a man struggling to find happiness in his daily life. He’s been successful with his business and created major company that’s doing very well and bringing him a lot of money. He could afford to buy expensive things and even own the latest Rolex watches but none of these brought the needed happiness in his life until he found himself during a self discovery journey. In the end, he realized the only way to happiness is authentic living. The Shift teaches you how to shift from a life of misery unto the life of happiness and authenticity.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I found this book to be very inspirational. A good book to read now when thinking about New Year's resolutions.