Heather Bellamy spoke with Norman Drummond, a chaplain to the Queen in Scotland and founder of the charity 'Columba 1400' about the need for quiet and reflection in living a successful life.

Heather: What took you in to this work?

Norman: I was a graduate of Cambridge University and I came north to Scotland to train as a lawyer. It was the moment when a young woman came to me for a legal aid divorce with a babe in arms, and I realised almost in a moment that I wanted to be at the point of need, rather than the point of repair in the lawyer's office. So I volunteered to work in the gang land areas of Glasgow, which led me into vocation as a minister of the Church of Scotland. It was with a wonderful minister there by the name of Bill Chrisman, an American, that I began to realise that one will never affect societal change unless people get a chance to 'Step Back'.

My responsibility in those days was to take young people to a disused church that we had bought and done up. It wasn't very great internally, but it was a safe place where gang members and I could go on a regular basis. It was then I began to see that when people 'Step Back' from their circumstances, or step out of the difficulties of the moment, they get a chance to reflect and to decide to begin again.

I covenanted with myself that I would get back to that work, hence Columba 1400, 25 years on. We began on 3rd June 2000, but we started fundraising on St Columbus day, 9th June, 1997. We had to raise the best part of two million pounds for our first centre at Columba 1400 on Staffin, on the Isle of Skye. Our second centre opened on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond on the 20th June 2010.

Heather: You've been talking about stepping back and that's obviously the name of your book 'Step Back' and you talk about stepping back to simply be, so what does that look like?

Norman: What is it like to simply be? I did a TEDx talk where I asked the audience, "When was the last time that you sat on your own in quiet and listened to the silence and when was the last time you found somewhere that we would call a hill road? Somewhere that you can get away from it all, just to be on your own in quiet. When was the last time that you learnt to listen to the beating of your heart?"

I think we are living in an age of over communication as the book describes, where even the medics are beginning to tell us that the pace of life is leading to a stressful position. Some of these external influences are beginning to have internal consequences, leading to disease of the heart, or of the mind, or body. I think 'Step Back' is a bit of a call to the colours, in terms of let's appreciate what it means to be quiet; what it means to be gentle; to 'Step Back' to reflect on your life and to then set some goals for the future having been quiet.

It's very difficult in the noisy atmosphere of Facebook and Twitter and so many media outlets giving us noise all the time. I suggest in the book that it is a good thing to go away on a regular basis, perhaps with a trusted other, someone to whom you can go to at any time and never feel a nuisance, knowing that they will neither laugh at your dreams nor mock at your failures.

Heather: What was your personal journey to find these truths and values that you now impart through your charitable work?

Norman: I've been very fortunate in that I've been able to get on with what I felt was important in my life. I've been able to take some risks and to face some challenges, whether as a Padre, as a Chaplain with the Parachute Regiment, then with the Black Watch, or as the School Chaplain and I was also the headmaster of a school for several years. I've had the privileged opportunity to see my own experience and that of others from a leadership perspective. Then also as a BBC Governor where I was in a public and national role, to see things at that level and now working in business and chairing Drummond International, which is our international leadership consultancy. Also my family background brings me into the world of shipping, where I'm a 5th generation member of J. & J. Denholm Limited, one of Scotland's leading shipping companies. Now I've diversified into a number of other activities and so I've been very fortunate, Heather, to see a lot of people and to experience various things. The message comes through time and time again that people are at their best when they've had an opportunity to step back, to refresh their outlook, their souls and to begin to look forward with renewed hope and confidence.

You can buy Step Back from Cross Rhythms Direct for ONLY £14.24.