Recognise yourself, your reactions, your patterns
Natasa Novakovic enjoys how Upwilling, the new book by Iva Biondic, took her off the rollercoaster of cortisol and serontin
Although Upwilling speaks to leaders and teams, for me its real strength lies in something much more personal. As someone who practises passion daily and who may be slightly too addicted to the cortisol-and-serotonin rollercoaster, I found myself having to argue with the book at times. Or, more accurately, with myself.
I had to accept the rather uncomfortable idea that it is sometimes perfectly ok not to act. To pause. To stop. To leave space instead of immediately filling it with another goal, response, plan or action. That may sound simple. But, for some of us, it really isn’t.
What I particularly liked is that the book is both intelligent and extremely practical. It does not stay in the realm of concepts: it constantly gives you opportunities to recognise yourself, your reactions and your patterns. I am convinced that almost everyone will find their own page somewhere in it. Mine happened to be 109, the moment when I felt slightly too accurately described.
And I absolutely loved the playlists at the end. Such a small, unexpected and very human touch.
Perhaps the best review I can give it, however, is this: since finishing Upwilling, I have caught myself in small everyday situations choosing to slow down rather than immediately react or move on to the next thing. For me, that is a surprisingly big change.
• Natasa Novakovic is ESG Director at the Croatian Employer's Association. She was reviewing ‘Upwilling: Creating the magic of we in uncertain times’ by Iva Biodnic, Novaro Publishing, September 2026. Further details here or in bookshops now.
