Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Neryda McNabb
Can a 50-page book change your life?
The answer to that is likely “yes” with positive feedback pouring in for Bob Wickham’s recently published book Let the sunshine in, which looks at how praise – rather than criticism – can change your life as a child and an adult.
The book has been described as “uplifting and inspiring”. One man said he appreciated his wife more after reading the book while his wife said she had achieved an amazing breakthrough.
“Just by saying to my husband I so appreciate everything he does, little and big, this has changed the atmosphere in our home.”
Another woman ordered one book initially, then placed a second order for 10 more.
Mr Wickham said there had already been a request to translate the book into Italian and it would soon be available for sale internationally.
The power of praise in moulding young lives was at the forefront of Kiwi Can, an acclaimed school programme teaching children self-esteem and positive values, conceived and initially bankrolled into schools by Mr Wickham and later restructured into a charitable trust.
He discusses the early days of Kiwi Can and its philosophy of encourage, praise, challenge and excel in the book.
“When we praise and encourage children and people, they are just uplifted and it gives them so much confidence and when we keep doing this we not only find they get more confidence but they achieve more.”
He said the improvement in achievement was especially notable in lower socio-economic areas where children were often “obliterated by criticism and negativity”.
Let the sunshine in also looks at giving praise, training your mind to think positively, using praise in business and a host of other praise-related topics relevant for people of all ages.
Mr Wickham, who developed the Waiotahi Drifts subdivision on the outskirts of Opotiki, has lived in the Eastern Bay for 12 years – and loves it.
“I love the place – the coast and the fishing and the people. The thing that really impresses me about Opotiki is if you can’t get a park and sit there waiting for a while, people don’t honk you off the road.”
Mr Wickham also has a strong faith and later this month is heading for Nepal to minister for three weeks.
Let the sunshine in is available from Paper Plus in Opotiki and Whakatane for $12.