Life’s Amazing Secrets: How to Find Balance and Purpose in Your Life PDF
Preview Life’s Amazing Secrets: How to Find Balance and Purpose in Your Life
GAUR GOPAL DAS LIFE’S AMAZING SECRETS How to Find Balance and Purpose in Your Life PENGUIN BOOKS Contents Preface 1. Forgetting the Keys 2. Seeing beyond the Obvious 3. The Journey Begins WHEEL 1: PERSONAL LIFE 4. Growing through Gratitude 5. Press Pause 6. Why Worry 7. Spiritual Practice WHEEL 2: RELATIONSHIPS 8. Speaking Sensitively 9. A Virtuous Vision 10. Correcting Cautiously 11. Forgiveness 12. Association Matters WHEEL 3: WORK LIFE 13. Competition Crossroads 14. Self-Discovery 15. Decoding Spirituality at Work 16. Integrity and Character WHEEL 4: SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION 17. Selfless Sacrifice 18. Family First 19. The Nation Narrative 20. Service Brings Joy Author’s Note Appendix 1: Forgiveness Worksheet Appendix 2: Ikigai Worksheet Acknowledgements Follow Penguin Copyright PENGUIN BOOKS LIFE’S AMAZING SECRETS Gaur Gopal Das studied electrical engineering from the College of Engineering, Pune. After a brief stint with Hewlett Packard, he decided to live as a monk in an ashram in downtown Mumbai. He has remained there for twenty-two years, learning the antiquity of ancient philosophy and the modernity of contemporary psychology, to become a life coach to thousands in the city. Gaur Gopal Das has been travelling the world since 2005, sharing his wisdom with corporate executives, universities and charities. In 2016, his global popularity exploded as he took his message online. With millions of views on his videos on social media, he has now begun to lead a movement to help others achieve happiness and purpose in their lives. Now one of the most famous monks in the world, Gaur Gopal Das holds the title of ‘The Ideal Young Spiritual Guru’, conferred upon him by the Indian Student Parliament, MIT Pune. Advance Praise for the Book ‘Keeping balance in all situations is of utmost importance as it takes you to happiness and completeness—that’s why Gaur Gopal Das says in Life’s Amazing Secrets, “Happiness does not come automatically.” We have to choose to live happily, we have to choose to live with integrity and we have to choose to live with balance. It is this balance that will make our journey through life smooth and effective. Life’s Amazing Secrets is a refreshingly accessible guide which can help man in conquering the daily battle and align him with his purpose in life’—Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra ‘Great work. Excellent style. Deep, profound lessons on how to live with purpose and balance, brought out through an entertaining storyline and interesting anecdotes. Life’s Amazing Secrets highlights the right human values and thus can contribute to a stronger and better India’—Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for road transport and highways ‘Transforming lives through his inspiring words of wisdom—this is what Gaur Gopal Dasji has been doing as a leading modern-age speaker. His talks and numerous videos as a life coach have been a positive influence on people all over the world, of all age groups and all walks of life. It is amazing how he connects with youngsters as well as the greatest of personalities in the same manner. His simple and humorous talks guide us in our daily lives as he is able to explain the most complicated situations and give simple solutions to every problem. I’m sure that this light-hearted, conversational book called Life’s Amazing Secrets will help one strike the right balance between work, relationships, society and spirituality’—Hema Malini, MP, actress and classical dancer ‘In this increasingly complex world, where placing trust in someone is a hazardous occupation, here comes a refreshingly simple yet effective guide to improving our lives and reducing stress. Gaur Gopal Das’s huge popularity is due to his walking the talk—and therein lies his success. This book is the natural result of decades of his personal and spiritual development, which, along with his uncanny knack of understanding human behaviour and a compassionate heart, leaves the reader feeling aware, optimistic and introspective. A must- read!’—Hrishikesh Mafatlal, chairman, Mafatlal Group read!’—Hrishikesh Mafatlal, chairman, Mafatlal Group ‘I have had to the privilege of understanding the ancient epics from Gaur Gopal Das for over a decade. [He] has a deep knowledge and understanding of various epics, which he combines with his appreciation of contemporary issues and examples. This is a powerful combination which explains how the learning of these spiritual values can be lived in our lives today. And he has a great sense of humour which allows us to remember the lessons. His teachings can be applied to all people in all walks of life and at all stages in life’—Ajay Piramal, chairman, Piramal Group To my beloved mother, late father, grandmother and sister—your love remains the foundation of all I try to do! Preface Have you ever experienced the Indian monsoon? It brings one of the fiercest, most thunderous downpours of water from the heavens. If you’re caught in the heavy rain, it’s nearly impossible to stay dry. Similarly, it is hard not to get caught up in the challenges and negative situations of the world. Feeling peaceful, happy and content is not about avoiding challenges in our life, but about how we navigate through these challenges to reach the type of life we want to live. Aldous Huxley said, ‘Experience is not what happens to a man, it is what a man does with what happens to him.’ It’s how we respond that makes all the difference. If there is one possession we have that is the most valuable and can truly transform our lives completely, it is our free will. We are the authors of our own life stories. Challenges and difficulties may fall upon us, just as the monsoon rains fall upon our head. We don’t seek them or solicit them. They just come our way. We must choose how to respond. Happiness does not come automatically. From a young age we receive methodical education in a variety of areas and fields, but happiness is usually not one of them. To live a happy life, with integrity and with balance, is one of life’s amazing secrets which is revealed within this book. These are simple principles that can be used by anyone to experience a sense of satisfaction. Do you ever feel irritable or frustrated? Do you ever feel that life isn’t going your way? Do you ever feel that there is a key part of your life that needs attention? If the answer to any or all of these questions is a yes, it’s a sign that your life is probably out of balance. The secret of life is finding balance: not too much, not too little. Just as a car balances on four wheels, we must balance the four crucial areas of our life: our personal life, our relationships, our work life and our social contribution. Balance on an external level is about the alignment of the wheels. It is about adjusting our priorities based on the need of the moment, and focusing on that particular wheel which is out of alignment. At some points in our lives our work life may need more focus than our personal life. Have you ever wanted to spend time with someone who needs to meet a project deadline at work? It’s impossible. They are too busy reaching their target. At other times our personal life may take precedence over everything else. Have you ever asked a couple organizing their wedding to spend more time at work? It’s unreasonable to do so
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