This is the third and final report on a different side of Israel. It is particularly pertinent this week, as together Jews are celebrating their New Year and Moslems are entering the feast of Eid al-Fitr.

Both religions have in common the prophets from the Old Testament. As a practitioner of NLP coaching remarked to me last week, the theologies of all the main religions can be found in modern management and motivation techniques.

To give a specific example: Israel comes to a standstill for the New Year. Yes, it is a period of celebration, as witnessed by the amount of dieting we all try to undergo afterwards.

In parallel, the religion demands that it is a period of reflection. How can a person improve themselves, specifically in relations between themselves and others. Only when this thought process has been completed can they ask for forgiveness from God on the Day of Atonement, which follows only 10 days after the New Year holiday.

I have spent much of the past month reading up on the subject. I can recommend the book “Essays on the days of awe” by Rabbi Chaim Sabbato. And the more I read, the more I realised the comparison with the theory of managing human resources.

Here’s what I mean. When somebody goes to a coach in their private life or professional career, they are looking for help. Broadly speaking, they want that coach to offer them a sign of hope, which they can latch on to.

The coach frequently engages the client in a process of inner reflection, forcing the person to ask some hard questions about themselves. And how is this done? Often through a combined process of deep thought and verbal admission, which produce a working plan of what needs to be changed.

Now look at the book of Deuteronomy – Chapter 30, verse 14:  “And the word is very close to thee, in your heart and in your mouth”. There are several interpretations to this innocuous-looking statement.  

Clearly, what the reader is being told is that what you need to do is look intimately at yourself. The tools to run and to improve your life are close at hand, often without you realising it. Do not be frightened; think positively and state truthfully what needs to be said, without fear of others.

And now I understand why there are so many capable and competent life coaches in Israel.