READING RECOMMENDATIONS
A Day on Self Actualisation

Nietzsche and Becoming Who You Are
Sasha van Deurzen-Smith

The Science of Intention
Juliet Adams

How to Change Your Life
Fiona Buckland

Learn about the psychology of unlocking your highest potential.
“What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualisation” – Abraham Maslow, 1943 In 1943, Abraham Maslow put forward his theory of Self Actualisation. In a nutshell, Maslow’s theory suggests that when human beings’ most basic needs are met, we have an innate tendency towards growth. In the same way that it is in the nature of plants to grow towards sunlight or for an acorn to become an oak tree, it is in the nature of human beings to grow towards our highest potential. Carl Rogers referred to this as the ‘Actualising Tendency’. Yet, often our attempts toward self actualisation are ineffective. We read all of the books, attend the seminars, and follow the latest ‘gurus’; only to find that things remain the same as before we started. And this can very easily lead to feelings of frustration and the sense of being ‘stuck’. But what if this May, you took a different approach? What if you took the latest evidence-based approaches from the psychology of self actualisation, and applied them in your own life? Might you get different results?
Content
In this series of talks, we’ll explore:- Nietzsche & Becoming Who You Are; how to apply the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche to live with greater authenticity, and increase your sense of meaning and purpose in everyday life – Sasha van Deurzen-Smith
- The Science of Intention; the fascinating science underpinning the law of attraction, how intention is a cognitive skill that can be learned, and how to use it to create your ideal future – Juliet Adams
- How to Change Your Life; practical steps to get on the path towards your highest potential, how to live in alignment with your authentic self, and set meaningful goals to work towards – Fiona Buckland
You’ll learn how these ideas can help you realise more of your potential, and also how to help others do the same.
Event Schedule:
In this series of talks, we’ll explore:- Nietzsche & Becoming Who You Are; how to apply the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche to live with greater authenticity, and increase your sense of meaning and purpose in everyday life – Sasha van Deurzen-Smith
- The Science of Intention; the fascinating science underpinning the law of attraction, how intention is a cognitive skill that can be learned, and how to use it to create your ideal future – Juliet Adams
- How to Change Your Life; practical steps to get on the path towards your highest potential, how to live in alignment with your authentic self, and set meaningful goals to work towards – Fiona Buckland
You’ll learn how these ideas can help you realise more of your potential, and also how to help others do the same.
Lectures & Speakers
How to Change Your Life
If you are living your life right, then a time will come when you sense the need to grow and fulfil your potential. Yet we can find ourselves poorly equipped to move ourselves forward, and seek insight in our stuckness through running inventories of our skills and experiences. Even less helpful, we ask ourselves “What do I want?”, and stare into a chasm of uncertainty and confusion, led by scripts of what we “should” be and do.
But the quality of our answers and our lives lie in the questions we ask and live. Success is less about a job title that fits, but alignment between our authentic selves and how we show up in the world. In a practical journey of self-reflection to align yourself and set meaningful goals, you will work through interactive exercises and there will also be time to reflect on what you’ve learnt. You will leave the day energised and inspired, with notes on your values and motivations and an action plan for your next steps.

Fiona Buckland
How to Change Your Life
Fiona is a Life & Leadership Coach, facilitator and author, passionate about helping people develop deeper, wiser leadership of themselves. She is delighted to count world-leading business and cultural organizations among her clients, including The Wall Street Journal, Alexander McQueen and Viacom.
In addition to her coaching and facilitation practice, she leads workshops on authentic leadership, runs Guardian Masterclasses and contributes to The Guardian, the Independent and Psychologies. She is also a guest lecturer in Coaching at Birkbeck University of London. Her book The Thoughtful Leader is published in 2021.
Reading Recommendations:
- Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning.
- Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak.
- Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet.
- Bronnie Ware, Five Regrets of the Dying
The Science of Intention
Intention underpins your every action and already influences every aspect of your life. Whether you dream of changing the world, escaping the rat race, earning a monthly five-figure income, living more and working less, or finding happiness, intention will play a vital role.
Over the last five years, author and speaker Juliet Adams has researched the science that underpins intention. Recent research highlights the powerful role that intention plays in transforming a desire or wish into reality, and that intention is a cognitive skill that can be learned.
This talk will offer an evidence informed, practical guide that will enable you to consciously focus your intention to get the things you most want from life, without the need for a guru! You’ll learn about the fascinating science that underpins intention, and how to apply it to start living the life you really want.

Juliet Adams
The Science of Intention
Juliet Adams is Director of ‘A Head for Work’. She specialises in Leadership and Workplaceproductivity, helping individuals and their organisations thrive in times of change and uncertainty. She is a major driving force for mindfulness in the workplace internationally, recently delivering workshops and keynotes in the UK, Netherlands, the USA and China.
Juliet has been working in the field of leadership and organisational development for the last 25 years. Her unique approach is based on the latest neuroscience, leadership and intention research findings. Her passion is transforming the way individuals and organisations think, behave, and perform. Mindfulness is at the heart of her work due to its effectiveness in increasing awareness of behaviour and mind-sets – providing the foundation for lasting behaviour change. Juliet’s best selling books, master classes, and workshops have helped thousands of people across the world to focus their attention, manage their minds, and discover new, more effective ways of living and working.
Reading Recommendations:
Books:
- Demasio, Antonio. (2006). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain. Vintage, 2006.
- Wallas, A. (2019) Intention: How to tap into the most underrated power in the universe, Aster
- McTaggart, Lynne. (2008). The Intention Experiment. Harper Element
- Dyer, Wayne (2004) The Power Of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way, Hay House
Research:
- Benjamin Libet’s work on the neuroscience of free will. Libet, Benjamin (1985). Unconscious
- cerebral initiative and the role of conscious will in voluntary action. The Behavioral and Brain
- Sciences. 8 (4): 529–566.
- M. Bratman. (1987). Intention, plans, and practical reason. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
- University Press.
- Mele, A. Effective intentions: The power of conscious will. New York, NY: Oxford University
- Press, 2009.
- Pacherie, Elisabeth. (2000). The content of intention. Mind and Language 15 (4):400-432 (2000)
- Schmidt, S. (2012). Can we help just by good intentions? A meta-analysis of experiments on distant intention effects. Journal of Alternative Complimentary Medicine. 2012 Jun;18(6):529-33. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0321
- Slors, M. (2015). Conscious intending as self- programming. Philosophical Psychology.
Nietzsche and Becoming Who You Are
Friedrich Nietzsche was a fascinating, eccentric, and sometimes controversial philosopher in the Existential and Nihilist tradition. In this lecture, we will look at his literary works and his personal life, as well as the impact of his legacy on the world.
You’ll learn:
- How can Nietzsche help us live more authentically?
- Who was he and how did this inform his philosophy?
- What is his legacy – in philosophy, to individuals, and in media?
Together we will translate philosophical theory into life practice, always with a critical lens.

Sasha van Deurzen-Smith
Nietzsche and Becoming Who You Are
Sasha is the course leader of the MA in Existential Coaching at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling in London.
She has a background in performance, having worked professionally as a presenter and actor. Sasha has coached many creative artists including fashion designers, writers and singers, helping them to find inspiration, confidence and a strong sense of what they wish to share with the world and how.
She is particularly interested in providing a safe space for neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ individuals, and has a special interest in working with these groups. You can find out more about Sasha’s work at: https://sashasmithcoaching.com/
Reading Recommendations:
- The Gay Science, Walter Kaufmann (trans.), New York: Vintage, 1974 (1st ed. 1882, 2nd ed. 1887).
- Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Walter Kaufmann (trans.), New York: Viking, 1954 (1883–5).
- Beyond Good and Evil, Walter Kaufmann (trans.), New York: Vintage, 1966 (1886).
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Tickets
Full Day Pass: £38.25
(includes VAT + Booking Fee)
Student/Unwaged: £20.25
(includes VAT + Booking Fee)
Date and time
31/05/2020
09:30 – 17:00 BST
Venue
Online video conference
Money back guarantee
The Weekend University guarantees an excellent learning experience. If you are not fully satisfied with the day, you will receive 100% of your money back – with no questions asked. Simply contact us on support@theweekenduniversity.com to arrange your refund.
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Date and time
31/05/2020
09:30 – 17:00 BST
Location
Online video conference
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