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4-MAT Review - Instinct by T.D. Jakes
Liberty University
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Abstract
This paper notes various areas where this resource Instinct serves as a go-to while in the
coaching process. Instinct combines biblical insights with historical, cultural, and personal
examples by T.D. Jakes that offer both spiritual and practical principals to offer success. Instinct
shows how you can reinvent your natural skills and reassert the wisdom of your life experiences.
This paper will also highlight how Instinct is applicable to the life of the coach as well for the
coach needs what Jakes offers in order to aid and assist coachees/clients.
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Summary
Sharing life standards from natural and organic examination, his life and business
experience, sacred texts and human science, innovation and media transmission, T.D. Jakes
uncovers how your interior navigational framework, your instinct, can direct you through life’s
venture until you touch base at your 'foreordained country. Beginning from fundamental creature
and maternal instincts, T.D. Jakes takes you with him on a safari through the wildernesses of
South Africa where you see instinct in real life. With courageous exercises from the lion, the
elephant, the giraffe, the zoologist and the Zulu, he clarified how you can translate your plan,
comprehend your wiring, and work every one of the numerals of your enthusiasm with a shared
factor. In Instinct, Jakes did everything to convey obviously and convincingly, educate from his
background, and represent his idea design like just incredible instructor could. Covered in the
pages of this book is the means by which to live by instinct, love by instinct, learn by instinct,
and lead by instinct. There is rich knowledge in this book. Not exclusively will you have the
capacity to take stock of what is within you, you will likewise figure out how to slice deeply to
find what is in you. One would figure out how to battle through and endure life changes, how to
manage predators in the wilderness of business, political, religious life. Truth or confidence?
Information or drive? Gut or mind? T.D. Jakes indicated how we can strike a harmony between
instinct versus keenness, instinct versus data, when to go versus at the point when to develop.
Concrete responses
Based on Dunbar (2010) life coaching is a method of helping a person to find out where they
want to be, taking in all factors of their life, then working out a route plan that will help them to
reach it (p. 7). T. D. Jakes greatly did this in Instinct. He used unique strategies to guide you
identify your fulfillment. He stresses that God has put something special inside of you that
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defines your purpose in life. Jakes (2014) notes there’s an expectation that you will be
responsible enough to take what you’ve been given and continue to cultivate it and develop it to
the best of your ability (p.118). I heard an analogy that when a person jumps, there is uncertainty
on where you land but jumping takes you out of your comfort zone to take you to another level.
Jakes points out a unique perspective on jumping that impacted me and I feel will impact those
who I will coach. Jakes (2014) says jumpers are people willing to jump out of their nests, or run
out of their cages and into the free fall of the jungle, where they must survive by their instincts
(p. 87). Williams & Menendez (2015) mirrors this sentiment in noting that making a challenging
request or call for evidence of progress may activate clients to make a huge shift or leap forward.
This kind of challenge communicates to the clients that you are confident they are capable of
taking on such a challenge (p. 157).
Reflection
As T. D. Jakes is very thorough in his content, it has posed various questions that will
enhance my position as a life coach. Jakes (2014) shared following our instincts can make the
crucial distinction between what we are good at-our vocational skill set-and what we are good
for-the fulfillment of our purposeful potential (p. 1). I wondered why our instinct is not a focal
point in the initial meeting with the coachee/client. After reading this book, one of my initial
approaches will be to have the client read this book as it will gauge the path that we will take. It
excites me that this resource has both a practical and faith-based plan of action. As much as
many try to separate religion from many things, it is key that God is the source for all prosperity
we may attain. Jakes, who is also a minister, has grounded his insight aligned with scripture.
Faith is the foundation to give us the hope that we need in order to achieve success. Paul said in
2nd Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) that we need to examine ourselves and it is when we do this we can
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tap into our God-given instinct. Thinking through the lens of a coach, I often wonder why we try
to tap into our desires without tapping into God first. He has the answer to what we are seeking.
Quite honestly, He is the answer to what we are seeking. I love the fact that Jakes does not
“dumb down” his faith to please the reader because he knows that God is the main ingredient to
our realization.
Application
Instinct reeled me in and it has truly shifted how I approach the pastors I will be
coaching. With all the resources that I have, I expect success to be the focal point when
approaching a coaching moment. Instinct has been imparted something amazing for it has
changed my life. The insight shared by T. D. Jakes helped me to be able to help others. Jakes
(2014) shared height always means leverage. The height of your connections, the height of you
influence, the height of your ideas and creativity, they all converge to elevate you to an airspace
where others can’t compete (p. 253). This passage lets me know something that I will share with
my clients…Your new level is coming! I expect success for those I interact with because I am
going in with a faith stance knowing that greater is coming for them. Yes, it will be a process, but
as long as we stay on the path, greater is coming. We can’t allow what is holding us back to keep
us back. Jakes (2014) says recognize the adequacy of what is within you to survive and succeed
amid all you face. You do have what it takes to master the outward challenges as you release
your inner resources (p. 262). If we remain faithful to the inner voice which guides us to our
calling, the time of struggle of any sort will end. The sun is coming out of the dark clouds.
Instinct + God + Faith = Success
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References
Dunbar, A. (2010). Essential life coaching skills. New York, NY: Routledge.
Jakes, T. D. (2014). Instinct. New York, NY: Faith Words.
Williams, P., & Menendez, D. (2015). Becoming a professional life coach. New York, NY: W.M.
Norton & Company, Inc.
