I had a belting day on Monday. I was in the office all day and when winding up my watch, accidentally and unwittingly moved the time on two hours!

At first, I could not believe how fast the day had gone and thought I may have nodded off! Having then found two hours I believed ‘lost’, I then enjoyed the longest evening on record.

I went to the gym, then started to read the John Cleese recommended ‘Three Men in a Boat’, at which I laughed out loud, as he promised me I would. I then sat down to read more of ‘So, Anyway’ by Cleese, which I am also enjoying.

I was in the same room as daughter#4, who was revising AND watching Bridget Jones at the same time – how DO they do that? I found myself watching it with her, just the two of us, and chatting about the spell binding Miss Zellweger as we laughed along.

WHAT an hour that was; special time just with her, without her mother and three sisters for a change!

THEN, she went to bed, I carried on reading, and before I knew it, it was dark – 10.45pm!

I walked around the house, checking all the lights were off etc., as you do, and saw that the room with the best telly in the house was most unusually teenager free! How rare!

Despite the lateness of the hour, I just could not resist the opportunity of watching the TV; choosing the channel and everything! When had I last done this? On it went, just for a few minutes of quiet bliss and the total command of the viewing and the sofa, I thought.

The programme I chose was ‘Exposure: Jihad – A British Story’ made by a young film maker called Deeyah Khan, a gifted interviewer with razor sharp intuition and observation. It was about the radicalisation of Muslims in Britain; a touch heavy given the joyous evening I had had.

It was riveting.

I rarely recall experiencing so many powerful emotions, and by far the most powerful were ‘shame’ and ‘abhorrence’ of implied association with fellow members of my society who deemed it acceptable to bully and isolate people based on their skin colour, physical appearance or religious beliefs; what I had inadvertently allowed my fellow citizens to put these people through brought me to the very edge of physical sickness within minutes.

I urge you to find it and watch it.

I was appalled at the stories I was hearing and the damage caused.

I was once privileged to sit in a room for an hour with a dozen or so others and the Dalai Lama, during which he asked us to give people ‘the strength to stand up’, and I remember thinking ‘that is what I do now, what I teach people; okay, I’ll carry on with that then’.

Anita Roddick, in a Body Shop brochure I once read, said that her business was not about soaps or perfumes, it was about ‘standing up for people who cannot stand up for themselves’, and again I remember thinking how great that was.

Even as a small child, I never allowed anyone to be bullied and I’d stand up to it no matter what. I’m not about to start now. I hope you feel the same.

Khan’s summary of the main cause of radicalisation?

‘Emotional poverty’

About The Author – Michael Finnigan

Michael Finnigan works with the world’s most famous businesses, helping them to understand how to unleash the power lying dormant within their people. Michael consults with corporate, public sector and sporting clients all over the world to lead and deliver positive change.

Michael’s work within elite sport includes clients in Premier League football, international cricket. He worked closely with Darren Clarke ahead of his victory at the Open Championship.

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